What is a dog diaper?
A diaper for dogs is a universal hygiene product, presented in the form of a small mat that absorbs moisture well. The product comes in two types – disposable and reusable.
Disposable product
Disposable diapers contain filling inside and a waterproof layer at the bottom. When they stop absorbing moisture, they must be thrown away - they cannot be washed. This option is suitable if you don’t like doing laundry at all and are willing to regularly spend money on diapers.
Reusable product
Reusable products are an ideal option for training your pet to wear a diaper. They are made of dense soft fabric that is difficult to tear and can be safely washed and dried. Inside, instead of filler, there is a special membrane layer that instantly absorbs moisture, so the dog’s paws do not get wet. The fabric is treated with antibacterial and antifungal agents.
The diaper can absorb up to 3 liters of liquid, so it is suitable even for mature puppies of medium and large breeds aged 6-12 months. One square meter of product can absorb 2 liters of moisture.
Why diaper train a puppy?
Tray training your pet will help get rid of:
- puddles in the apartment at every step;
- unexpected piles;
- pungent ammonia odor of urine and feces.
When your baby grows up, it will be easier for you to teach your dog to relieve himself only on the street, since he will get used to going to a specially designated place.
You should also remember about vaccination. The first vaccination is given at 8 weeks, the second after 2 weeks, then quarantine for 10 days. Until this moment, the dog cannot walk in the yard, otherwise he may pick up a fatal infection. During this period, a diaper and a tray will save half the apartment.
Selecting a location
Immediately choose a permanent place - no temporary solutions, otherwise it will be very difficult to retrain the dog. Most often, diapers are left in the bathroom or hallway, but if it is a room with a door, you will have to constantly keep it open. For the first days, limit the puppy’s movements around the apartment to the room where there is a diaper and food with water - let him get used to it.
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How long does it take to train a puppy to wear a diaper?
How long it takes to accustom your pet to a diaper depends on your patience and the dog’s character. Don't expect your dog to understand the order the first time, it may take several weeks. Much depends on the age (older puppies learn the task faster), the dog’s intelligence, and your persistence.
The baby will quickly figure out what's what if you keep an eye on him and take him to the diaper as soon as he decides to have a bowel movement (immediately after waking up, feeding, active games). When the pet can more or less control the process of urination, it will go to a specially designated place.
How to train a puppy to wear a diaper: basic rules
There are secrets, the use of which will make it easier for your dog to toilet train. Basic rules on how to train a puppy to wear a diaper at home:
- Babies love to defecate on soft surfaces that subconsciously resemble grass.
- Dogs quickly learn to urinate where they can smell their urine.
- Small dogs defecate immediately after sleeping or feeding.
- Pets love cleanliness, incl. in the place where they go to the toilet.
- Provide your pet with the opportunity to easily reach the diaper.
How to train a dog to pee on a diaper at home: find a place for the toilet
Think about a place for the dog toilet in advance. It shouldn't be in a place where people walk frequently. Select a secluded corner accessible to the baby - a corridor, an area near the door, a kitchen. You can install a toilet in the bathroom, but this is not an ideal option. Firstly, the door should always be open, and secondly, the puppy may not have time to “run.”
Choose a place so that you can quickly move your pet to the dog toilet. Fence the area, put a diaper. Leave a place nearby with an uncovered floor where he can stay until he relieves himself. Make sure your pet defecates on the diaper. After this, praise the dog and release it into the wild.
How to train a dog to wear a diaper in an apartment: buy a holder
To prevent the material from folding or creasing when the puppy uses it, buy a special holder. It will keep the product taut. Alternatively, you can put weights along the edges so that they don’t get wet and start to stink; protect them with a diaper or oilcloth.
How to train a dog to toilet in a diaper: take away all soft coverings
Hide all carpets and keep your pet out of carpeted rooms. Puppies love to defecate on soft, absorbent material. The diaper is soft, pleasant, and if the baby does not find a carpet, he will be happy to relieve himself on it. It will quickly become saturated with urine, and next time the dog will come here by smell.
How to accustom a one-month-old puppy to a diaper: toilet ritual
The little dog urinates often, but there are times when he always does it. The owner should know about them and take the baby immediately when the action occurs:
- The dog woke up, but had not yet crawled out of the crib.
- After feeding.
- After or during active play.
As soon as the baby relieves himself in the diaper, be sure to praise him, stroke him, and give him a treat.
How to toilet train a puppy in an apartment: keep the area around the diaper clean
Although dogs prefer to relieve themselves in places where they have already urinated, they will not get into a puddle, remains of feces, or dirt. Remove feces in a timely manner and wash the diaper. If a disposable product no longer absorbs moisture, replace it.
How to accustom a puppy to a diaper in an apartment: free access to a diaper
The dog should be able to go to the toilet whenever he wants. Make sure that he does not go far from the diaper and is constantly near it. If you suspect your baby will relieve himself soon, place him in a fenced area near the dog litter box. As soon as the dog has emptied, praise it and take it out of the pen.
How to properly toilet train a puppy: never punish
Do not scream, do not intimidate the baby, do not poke your face into the urine. This way you can achieve the opposite result. When the dog grows up, he will worry that he won’t be able to endure it... and out of fear, he will leave a puddle. Sometimes in the apartment, sometimes on the staircase, as soon as he leaves the confines of his home. This behavior is difficult to correct and can accompany the dog for the rest of its life.
If the puppy left a puddle, you can point to it and express your dissatisfaction with words in a reproachful tone. The effect will only be if the remark was made within the first seconds after the incident. If the moment is missed, even a few minutes have passed, the baby will not understand why he is being scolded. In this case, the puppy must be at least 3 months old.
How to train a dog to pee on a diaper: clean the floor thoroughly if the puppy goes to the toilet in the wrong place
If your pet has done its business in the wrong place, carefully clean the floor. To avoid stains and odors, use special dog cleaning products (Mr.Fresh, 8IN1 Natures Miracle Stain/Odor Remover). If you don't clean up your puppy thoroughly, there's a good chance he'll relieve himself here a second time.
How to teach a dog to wear a diaper: you cannot change the location of the toilet
The puppy must know exactly where he can defecate. If he is curious and follows you around the apartment, make several dog toilets in different rooms. As they grow older, they can be removed one at a time, but after that you need to monitor the pet for some time, directing it to the right place.
Possible problems and their solutions
Despite the fact that in theory everything seems simple, in practice the owner may encounter a number of problems. But there are solutions for everything:
- The puppy goes to the diaper every other time.
Perhaps he is still too small and simply does not have time to run, so he pees past the diaper. This is due to the fact that they cannot restrain themselves for up to four months. This is equivalent to trying to teach a six-month-old child to ask for a potty without fail. In later life, the problem may be due to the fact that the diaper is dirty, has an unusual smell, or is distracting.
- The puppy stopped wearing a diaper.
The reasons are the same as for periodic errors. You shouldn’t get angry at the puppy and think that he is doing this out of spite. Dogs have no such concept as “specifically, to take revenge.” For them, defecation and urination are completely normal physiological processes that do not cause disgust. Remember, a dog can happily eat his own or someone else’s poop and not wince. People are disgusted by this.
What you perceive as a feeling of guilt is flattened ears, a closed posture, eyes on the floor, not an admission of guilt, but fear. Training can be stalled if you punish the puppy for not going to the diaper. What to do in such a situation? You need to exhale deeply, drink a mug of chamomile tea, collect your thoughts and realize that the puppy did not do it on purpose. Make a rollback in your actions and start teaching from the very beginning: wearing a diaper, praising for successes and ignoring mistakes.
If the puppy poops past the diaper, then you should use an antigasin. You must also remember that soon the dog will grow up, and nature dictates that it does not shit in its den, which your home has become for it.
- The puppy chews on the toilet diaper.
This is a very common problem for owners. Babies explore the world with the help of their mouths, bite and gnaw on everything, this is especially acute during the change of teeth. First of all, provide the puppy with other objects that can be tasted: balls, ropes, squeakers. Don't forget to spend enough time playing with your baby and just communicating.
There is enough attention and toys, but the puppy still eats diapers. What to do in such a situation is not always clear. And you can’t do without a diaper, and there is a risk that the pet will swallow a piece, which can cause intestinal obstruction or vomiting. In this case, it is worth replacing disposable diapers with reusable ones and using a special anti-gnaw spray.
How to train a dog to use a litter box in an apartment
The litter tray is tamed no earlier than the pet has mastered the diaper. For a long time, the litter box was only a cat attribute, but recently models have appeared designed for puppies and dogs of dwarf breeds. It is a flat container with small sides. Their use allows not only to accustom the dog to the tray, but also to save the floor from accidental leaks.
Some models have a grate at the bottom, which allows you to avoid using filler that absorbs liquids and unpleasant odors.
When choosing a tray, you need to consider the following points:
- Material – choose products made from high quality plastic. They are safe and last a long time.
- Sides – for small dogs you need low sides, for older and larger dogs – medium ones.
- Gender of the dog - there are trays on sale with a post on which male dogs can urinate. It is not needed for females, nor for small puppies - they begin to raise their paws after 6-7 months.
Features of training a puppy to the tray
Before you can train your dog to use the litter box, he must master the diaper. This is especially true for small puppies who find it difficult to climb over the side. Once your baby has mastered the diaper, move it to the tray. Do not put on a new product; the diaper should smell like puppy urine.
Further actions should be done by analogy with diaper training. Immediately after sleeping, feeding or active play, place the baby directly in the tray and praise him when he goes to the toilet. If your pet constantly “misses”, place one of the diapers under the tray.
If the diaper is in the tray, do not wash it with strong products that kill the smell - the pet will lose interest in it. If he doesn't like the smell of the disinfectant, he will go looking for a new place for the toilet.
Common mistakes
- Strictly punish the puppy, instill in him a fear of his owner. A frightened animal learns worse.
- Beat the animal for puddles and heaps discovered after a while. In particularly advanced cases, such behavior of the owner leads to coprophagia - eating one's own excrement. It is very difficult to wean a dog from this.
- Select the wrong size tray, without taking into account physiological needs, too tight. An adult male dog will need a tray with a post.
- Do not keep the tray clean.
- It is inconsistent to punish a dog by “closing your eyes” every other time.
- Ignore praise.
- Forget about constant training. Even an adult, accustomed individual sometimes presents a surprise. Plus, dogs can forget where their toilet is if you don't spend enough time with the animal.
Features of training different breeds of dogs
The technique for training a puppy to use a diaper or litter tray is the same, but take into account the dog’s character:
- Toy terrier, chiahua, yorkie and other small active dogs. These breeds have a fast metabolism, so they defecate frequently. At the same time, the puppies are active and curious. To train them to use a litter tray, they need to be limited in space or have several toilets installed, constantly monitoring them. As you grow older, the number of diapers can be removed.
- Spitz. Representatives of this species are characterized by insatiable curiosity, regardless of size. It is difficult to contain it in a confined space, so make several toilets.
- Labradors. Puppies of this breed are very smart and easy to train, so there should be no problems. Every time he empties in the right place, praise him and give him a treat.
- Huskies are dogs with a complex character. Until 6 months of age, they do not want to control their urination, so when toilet training your puppy, you need to be patient.
How to teach a puppy to use the toilet outside using a diaper and a litter tray?
In order for the puppy to learn to relieve himself outside, he needs to be walked 4-5 times a day. From six months, the number of walks can be reduced to 3 times.
Praise when your pet relieves himself outside, and at home lament over every puddle he makes in the wrong place. At this age, the puppy begins to understand what is required of him, does not want to upset the owner and tolerates it. It is very important to walk him 1-2 times during the day, otherwise the process of accustoming him to walking will take up to a year.
When the puppy is 6-7 months old, gradually move the diaper and tray to the front door. When you realize that your puppy is not eliminating as often as before, take the diaper and keep an eye on your pet. When he begins to get restless and spin around in the place where the toilet used to be, immediately take him outside before he has a bowel movement.
If you don’t have time, you can “cry” out loud over the puddle, but never scream or poke the dog’s face into the puddle. After some time, the puppy will ask to go for a walk. Remember that a young dog must be walked at least 3 times a day, otherwise puddles will appear periodically. If you cannot provide this need when leaving home, leave a tray or diaper.
Absorbent wipes - help for dog owners
Pet stores offer several types of wipes for dogs, they differ in size and absorbency. The use of such attributes is very convenient and does not cause problems for either the puppies or the owner. In the past, dog lovers had to go around and clean up pet poop from floors all over the house. With the advent of absorbent diapers, keeping four-legged friends has become easier.
There are several types of napkins:
- disposable – used only once and thrown away when dirty;
- reusable - can be used several times. These diapers must be washed by hand in warm soapy water.
