Housetraining
Foster Facts provides our fosters with the real advice they need to successfully care for their new pup - and stay positive in the process!
Today we’ll cover housetraining.
It’s completely normal for foster dogs -- even those who are housetrained -- to have a transition period when they finally arrive in New York. After all, for pups who were once used to doing their business on fresh suburban grass, their new concrete jungle may come as a bit of a shock! Thus, most foster dogs will take a couple of days (or more) to show their true housetraining colors. If your dog is having frequent accidents (or perhaps not peeing at all), don’t worry! This is to be expected as your pup gets acclimated to their new environment.
Stay patient and positive with your pup as their habits shift.
Speaking of accidents, a good rule of thumb is to ignore those that happen inside. This may seem counterintuitive, but think of it this way: punishing a pup for an indoor accident only signals to them that they should find a more secretive spot in your apartment to do their business to avoid getting caught - and thus, to avoid punishment. Instead, try rewarding the pup each time their business is done outside. Your pup will catch on, and you’ll feel better knowing your relationship with them is built on support and positive reinforcement.
As a general rule, your foster dog will need a bathroom break every 2 to 4 hours, and the more you take them outside, the less likely they are to have accidents inside! You can also expect that your foster will need to go outside immediately after waking up from sleep or naps, shortly after meal times, and after play sessions. This might seem like a lot at first, but once you establish a schedule, your pup will be housetrained in no time!
#MuddyPawsPointer: Don’t be surprised if you end up as one of those fosters jumping up and down when your dog achieves the goal of using the bathroom outside - we’ve all done the ‘potty dance’ before!
Have more questions about fostering? See our Foster FAQs.
