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Just got a 4 month old Italian Greyhound. How in the world do I train him to potty outside!?

He previously lived in a kennal.

Public Comments

1. Well since he lived in a kennal hes probably used to going potty inside. What you need to do is that take him outside and train him to use the potty outside. In one week your dog will be used to be going outside then inside.
2. take him outside. lol. feed him 2-3 times a day and then about 20-30 min after he eats or drinks take him outside. walk around once you get out there, don't just stand there cuz he won't know what to do. take him to trees or bushes, he should naturally do his thing. and then i would consistently take him out at least every 45min to an hour there after. they just need to know that you will take them out. and that they don't have to wander around looking for a place to go. plus watch him, watch his body language and behavior, most dogs will act a certain way before they have to go. i know mine did. he still does. so then i see that and take him out. it really is easy, you just have to be consistent and on top of things.
3. Oh, potty training, such a stressful time for both the dog and the owner. What I did is I bought a dog crate and made it small so he can turn and be comfortable, this will show him that he has to hold it in, because the nature of the dog is to not pee or poop in the area where he/she eats and sleeps. 15 minutes after he eats, take him out, after that take the dog out at least 3 times so that he can pee, always take the dog to the same spot at the beginning so he can smell that he in fact did use that spot before and that that is the place where he has to go. Do not forget to give him a treat or say "good boy" or "good job" when he does his business, so he knows when he is doing something good, and if he has an accident inside you home say "bad boy" with an angry voice and take him outside so he can smell the place where he has to go on and when he comes home put him back to his crate. Do not do the smacking a new paper on his nose or rubbing his nose in his pee if he has an accident, he will only get scared at you and sad. I did this traning for some weeks with my puppy who I rescued when he was 9 weeks, he is now 8 months, and now he holds it in until his mommy (me) gets home and sits by the door when he needs to get out. Good Luck! And also, take loads of pictures, in a year from now you will se how amazingly fast he has grown and how his face and body changes!!!
4. This will take time and patience on your part, but I'm confident you are up to the challange! Feed your dog two or three times a day, leave the food down ten or fifteen minutes, and what he doesn't eat, take away, and offer nothing else until the next scheduled feeding time. This serves two purposes. It teaches your dog to eat when food is put down for him, and it makes you aware of when the dog is eating. In spite of what the books say, don't leave water down for your dog. Give him drinks frequently during the day. Dogs have a gastro-colic reflex. Whenever they eat or drink, the colon and the bladder are both stimulated. As soon as your dog eats, or drinks, take him outside (usually within 10-15 minutes) Take him to the same little corner of the yard. Don't talk to him or play with him when you have him out for this trip. He will soon sniff around and relieve himself. Praise him, praise him, praise him. Do not fuss at him if he makes a mistake indoors. Most dogs learn better through positive reinforcement than negative. Take him out first thing in the morning, and the very last thing before bedtime. Take him out when he wakes from a nap, or when he has been playing hard. Be persistent. At first, you will just be catching him at the right time, but eventually, he will learn that the trip outside is the place to go. Good luck
5. Italian Greyhounds are one of the most difficult breeds to train to potty outside. Depending on where you live, it may be next to impossible (for example, if you live in a cold climate like I do). In the spring, summer and most of the fall, mine are 100% perfect. In late fall and in winter, I have to give them a cold weather option. I use potty pads. As long as they have that option, they are good. Housetraining issues are the top reason why IGs are turned into shelters and rescues. Second highest reason is a broken leg that the owner can't afford to repair, as a basic IG leg break averages $2000-4000 to repair. Go to www.iggyplanet.com and get the link for Housetraining 101.