Since the time I have Zoolii, I become very attentive to her signals. Believe almost everyone at the beginning would meet one problem. So how to test our dog for toilet? Before we had shared some dog love singnals, any dog toilet signals?
I like to take Zoolii outside first thing in the morning, as soon as we get up. I noticed her bladder is usually full after a long snooze.
If I don’t take Zoolii outside promptly when her bladder is likely full, like after a long sleep. She will arise few issues to me:
Accidents in the house
When our puppy has been sleeping for many hours overnight or during a nap, their bladder capacity is pretty limited at their young age. If we don’t take them out as soon as they wake up, they may not be able to hold it and could pee or poop indoors. This can set us back for all our housetraining efforts.
Developing a habit for toilet inside the house
If our puppies are repeatedly forced to potty inside because their owner didn’t let them out in time, they will develop a habit of going indoors. See that as acceptable. This makes our housetraining much harder down the road.
Bladder or urinary tract problems
Holding urine for prolonged periods can potentially lead to UTIs or other medical issues for our puppies. Their small bladders need frequent emptying.
Discomfort or distress
A puppy with a full bladder likely feels very urgent pressure and discomfort if not allowed to relieve themselves in a timely manner after waking. They may whine, pace, or show signs of distress.
So, it’s very important to be proactive and take puppies out to potty shortly after naps and overnight to avoid accidents, reinforce good habits, support bladder health, and prevent any distress!
I also keep a close eye on Zoolii when she starts wandering around sniffing intently – that’s often a sign she gotta pee or poop. If I see she start circling and sniffing in the house, I hurry and take her outside right away before any accidents happen!
Of course, a puppy wandering around sniffing intently doesn’t always mean the dog toilet signals, means they have to go potty! Here are some other possible meanings for that behavior:
- Exploring their environment – Puppies are very curious creatures, so all that sniffing could simply be them checking out a new space, room, or object and gathering information. It’s a natural canine behavior.
- Searching for food/treats – If there’s any chance of finding a morsel of food or an overlooked treat, puppies will snuffle around persistently looking for it. Their noses are amazing!
- Seeking attention/play – The pup could be sniffing around hoping to initiate play or interaction with their owner or other pets in the home. It’s a form of engagement.
- Boredom – Excessive, wandering sniffing may be a sign of boredom in dogs of all ages. They’re looking for some kind of stimulation. Additional exercise or enrichment could help.
Another good time is after meals or naps when her digestion gets moving, so I make sure to take her out then too.
And anytime she scratches or bites at the door, or come stare meaningfully at me, I know it’s potty time! I tell her “wanna go out?” and hustle to let her in the yard. Gotta respond quick when she ask!
Oh and if I ever see her squatting to go inside, I interrupt with a firm “eh eh!” and swoop her up to finish outside. Don’t let it happen in the first place!
Just gotta watch them super close and learn dog toilet signals. Take them out at key times. And give them lots of opportunities to do their business in the right place! It takes time, but soon they get the picture. Just stay patient and attentive.
I still can clearly remember a very funny story happened between I with Zoolii toward toilet issue.
One day I took Zoolii out to our usual grassy spot to do her business, as I did first thing in the morning and after every meal. She wandered around sniffing intensely, in no hurry at all despite my prompting her to “go potty.” After 10 minutes with no luck, I decided to head back inside figuring she must not have to go yet. But the moment we stepped in the door, she made a beeline down the hall and into the living room.
Before I could stop her, Zoolii squatted right on the brand new area rug I had just bought! I was so shocked I didn’t even have time to interrupt her. All I could do was stand there yelling “No no nooo!” as she happily peed away.Once she had thoroughly soaked that rug, Zoolii turned and gave me the biggest, proudest puppy grin like “Wow, wasn’t that an amazing spot I found to go potty, Mom!” I could have sworn she looked smug, the little stinker!
I definitely learned my lesson that day – when taking a puppy out to potty, wait as loooong as it takes for them to actually go. Don’t just give up and go inside if they seem disinterested at first! Otherwise, you and your new rug might end up paying the price.
