If you're tired of picking up after your dog or you're just looking for a new trick, why not teach your dog to use the toilet? It might sound like a silly idea, but with a little patience and a lot of encouragement, you can potty train your canine and cement your bond with your favorite pet as you work through the training process together.
Video of the Day
Train a dog to use the toilet
Not all dogs are ready to learn how to use the toilet. If your dog isn't housetrained yet, that needs to come first. This exercise is too advanced for any dog who is still having accidents in the house. Puppies should be fully housetrained by around the age of 6 months. Teaching a dog to use the toilet is also not recommended for miniature breeds, teacup breeds, or any other small breeds. If your dog is too small to brace herself on the rim of the toilet seat, this training exercise is not for you.
Video of the Day
Take a small, plastic child's potty or a plastic tub outside into your yard. When you take your dog outside, keep him on a short leash and encourage him to go in the potty. Reward your dog with a treat and lots of praise when he goes in the potty. Continue practicing this until your dog naturally goes in the potty. Once your dog is used to going in the potty outside, bring the potty inside and put it by the toilet.
Repeat the same process of encouraging your dog to use it. Over time, gradually place the small potty at a higher and higher level until it reaches the same height as the big toilet. Eventually, your dog can graduate to using the big toilet on his own with no child-sized potty seat required.
Use a puppy pad
You can follow a similar training process using a puppy pad instead of a child's potty. Place a puppy pad in the yard and use praise and treats to teach your dog to use the pad. When your dog naturally heads to the puppy pad right away, you can move the pad next to your toilet.
Encourage your dog to use the puppy pad next to the toilet. Then, use something sturdy to raise up the pad over time until the pad is at toilet level. Leave the pad on the toilet bowl rim for a few days. Then, you can remove the pad and leave the toilet seat up, and your dog should balance herself on the rim of the toilet bowl and go to the bathroom in the toilet.
Be patient with your dog
What should you do if your dog has accidents? Be patient. This training exercise is advanced and can take some time. Firmly tell your dog "no" if he has an accident and you witness it. Other than that, don't punish your dog. If a child's potty or puppy pad doesn't work for your dog, you can also purchase a dog toilet seat kit online. A dog litter box could be a good fit too.