One For The Road – Dog Potty Training While Traveling
Dog potty training can easily be done when both you and your dog are home most of the time. But if you have to travel frequently and have to take your dog along with you, it can be so much more of a challenge. Even if you are on the road most of the time, it is still best to start potty training lessons when you are at home. At the very least, you should teach your dogs the basic potty commands and give him rewards for doing it right. This way, when he hears the same command in a strange place, he won’t be too uncomfortable or nervous.
Dog Potty Training
Save The Toilet Paper
Some dogs only like to do their business in familiar territory, which is why they have a difficult time going potty while on the road. Here’s a good way of overcoming this problem. When your dog pees at home, press a paper towel over the urine and store it in a zip-locked bag that you can take along during road trips.
Now, when you are on the road and your dog needs to go potty, take out the paper towel with the urine and lay it on the ground. Let the dog sniff on it until he is comfortable enough to do his business. Just before he does go potty, remove the paper towel and put it back in the bag for future use.
This is a great potty training method you can use on the road but if you don’t want to keep handling the soiled paper towel over and over again, an alternative would be to pour some water into the bag with the paper towel. Instead of taking out the towel each time the dog needs to go potty on the road, just let some urine-water mixture drip onto the ground. The scent will be just as noticeable and just as familiar to your dog. Reseal the bag and use the remaining solution for future stops.
Once your dog has gotten used to relieving himself in unfamiliar places with the help of his own urine scent, the next step in your on the road potty training lessons is to teach him to do the same thing on his own. Walk your dog in unfamiliar places like parks and highway stops and encourage him to relieve himself. Don’t forget to praise him when he does in order to encourage him further.
At first, some dogs would find it hard to eliminate in areas where there are already existing scents of other dogs but if you talk to him calmly and keep encouraging him, he will be able to go potty whenever and wherever you tell him to do so.
How to Potty Train Your Dog While Traveling
Potty training is a process that is usually done at home but it doesn’t have to stop when you have to travel with your dog. For example, if you are driving a long distance and you have to take your pet with you, you can take advantage of frequent stops to make sure that your dog’s potty training lessons will not be disrupted. Many travelers do take their dogs out for a short walk on stopovers, but this doesn’t mean that you should encourage your dog to mingle with other pups while on the road.
You also have to keep in mind that when you take your dog out for on-the-road potty training, there are some responsibilities that you have to take care of, starting with cleaning up after your pet. Most highway rest stops these days have an area specifically for pets but that doesn’t mean it’s okay to leave your pet’s poop just lying around the area. Use poop bags to properly dispose of your dog’s waste.
If you forget to bring poop bags with you, you might avail of some from dispensers in the rest stop. Better yet, just find any clean plastic bag that is big enough to contain the poop. Pick it up and throw it away in the nearest garbage can.
Potty Training While Camping
If you are taking your pet along with you when you go camping or traveling in your recreational vehicle, you have to familiarize yourself with the campsite’s rules regarding pets before taking your dog to do his business just anywhere in the area. If you can’t see where these rules are posted, it’s always safer to ask than be sorry later.
Bringing along a portable litter box might be a good idea for smaller dogs, allowing them to do their business in the vehicle without requiring you to make an emergency stopover. This will also eliminate the hassle of having to pick up your dog’s poop when he goes outdoors.
There are such litter boxes that you can buy from pet stores everywhere, but you can also be creative and save some money by finding your own improvised portable litter box. Generally, any plastic box with a lid would be suitable, especially those that are low-sided and can easily be stored under a cot in your RV or in the trunk of your car. If you bring along these boxes, you can continue potty training your dog wherever you may go.