Potty Training Your Dog for the Snow Season

Potty training a dog is a time-consuming task, and you need to be patient with it. However, potty training them in winters and especially in places that it snows is quite challenging. Some dog breeds such as huskies and even some poodles can endure this weather and may not make much of the snow. But others, such as pugs and Labradors may make it extremely difficult for you to train them.

If you are in an area that is snow in and frequently experiences blizzards and rainfall you may think that it will be impossible for you to train your dog, but, that’s now the case. Your dog is going to learn. Eventually, it will just require a little more consideration and patience on your part.

Where being snowed in has its challenges it also poses an opportunity to teach your indoor dog potty, plus it is sure to get its business over and done with immediately and not try to spend ages outside as it would do in summer.

Here are a few tips for those snowy months that are sure to help you in your endeavor.

• Clothing

Yes, your puppy needs to be in a suitable attire to do its business in the snow. Some dogs do not like to wear sweaters and are sure to start fidgeting as soon as you put them in a sweater. But this can easily be tackled by training them first; treats can do wonders for training your dog. Next get a quilted vest that is appropriate for the weather and make sure that there are proper cutouts for the dog to be able to go potty. Many options can be used for the dog’s requirements; if it does not like getting wet or rain, you can easily opt for rainproof vests and jackets for your puppy.

• Make The Way

A shed a few feet away from your house would be an ideal place to take your puppy for its business, but if you haven’t installed one; it is best to clear a little space for your dog to go potty. This will also help its sense of smell, and it will pick up the scent of previous eliminations. This will make it easier for the dog to understand the space and eliminate. Also, clear the path for your dog to the ace as you do not want your dog struggling to get there, this will only make the training harder for both of you.

• Cues Help A Lot

Cues are an excellent way of telling your dog that it needs to go potty immediately and that there is nowhere else you are taking it.  Say things like, go potty! Or be quick and do not repeat it multiple times, make sure that your dog understands that you mean what you are saying. Observe your dog’s behavior when you are at the designated place, such as sniffing the ground or circling it, as soon as it shows this behavior you can give your cue.

• Time

Your dog does require a routine, setting a time for its potty when there is a bit of sunshine in winters can do wonders for your training. For this, you will also have to adjust the dogs feeding time. Puppies eliminate soon after they eat, this will take a little adjustment, but your dog will learn. Ringing the bell to indicate that you are going out Is also an excellent way to teach your puppy.

Recommendations

Dogs are intelligent creatures that learn easily and can adjust to human behavior. Being patient is the key to having a well-trained puppy.