(c) 2010 Jerry D. Patillo, CPDT-KA

If your dog is hesitant to potty in the snow, then scrape the snow away from its regular potty spot. Expose to your dog about four or five feet diameter of grass or ground. Try again to encourage it to use its regular spot for potty.

If your dog still refuses to doo its dooty, then you may have to set up a temporary potty place indoors (yes, indoors!) such as your kitchen or laundry room or a doggy playpen. Put your dog’s crate or bed and water bowl into one corner of the “Potty Palace.” Cover the rest of the floor with potty pads or newspapers or a plastic tarp. If your dog can’t hold it any longer, at least it will go potty in a very small area of your house. Just not all over the house.

Many of your house-trained dogs will NOT use this small, enclosed area to go potty because they have been trained to potty outdoors. That’s okay. Take your dog outdoors in the snow to its regular potty place, cleared of snow. If it doesn’t perform in the amount of time you’ve allotted (five or ten minutes), then bring your dog back to its indoor potty place. Do NOT let your dog have unsupervised access to the rest of your house if its bladder and bowels are still full! After one or two hours, take it back outside to its regular spot (cleared away). Try again. Your patience and consistency will eventually pay off. After your dog does its duty at the right place, immediately give your dog a high-value food treat, such as a pea-sized piece of hotdog, cheese, or liver — $1000 rewards in doggy money. (I think that’s $7000 in our money!)

If you need help with this behavior or any others, please give us a call. We can help!

214-784-8520

Home > Training Tips > Training 101 > Potty Party in the Snow

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