So your older dog is going potty in the house and you’re not sure why? Okay. Let me explain.

First, I should let you know what we are talking about here:

We need to be sure that your dog is not so old that it is incontinent or sick. If your dog is that old, then it is impossible to potty-train your older dog. That’s because your dog is not physically able to maintain its potty habits. Just make sure to take your dog outside often enough so to make it comfortable. Go out on frequent potty breaks and enjoy your dog’s last days with love and understanding.

However…

If your older dog’s potty habits is a behavioral issue then, yes, you can believe it is possible to potty train an older dog!

Here are 3 things to check out to be sure it is a behavior problem:

• If you are sure your older dog has been toilet trained and has achieved this for a considerable length of time, say more than 6 months, or…
• If your dog knows how to go to its “potty place” when you are home to let it out, or…
• If you adopted a “new” older dog from a shelter or pound and you were told it was potty trained before.

Then…

I can assure you that most likely the problem is simply this: Your dog has 99.98% of the DNA of a wolf.

Just for a minute think of your dog as a wolf, a very cute wolf in doggy’s clothing. Because of its DNA, your dog still thinks like a wolf… and your dog’s instincts still work like a wolf! In the wild if a wolf pup was lost and it needed to find its way home how would, how would they do it? There is no GPS system, no street signs and no maps to follow.

What would a wolf puppy do? It would follow its nose! It would be able to pick up the scent of the den and track back to safety. How? The adult dog pack makes sure there is a good strong fresh scent to follow! And the entire pack follows the scent of the pack leader..

Your Dog Thinks it is Doing You a Favor

Now if your dog is being the pack leader, then guess what? When you leave the house (or the room), your dog is doing exactly what it would do in nature to help you find your way home.

The only thing is that when you return home (or from the other room) you get all stressed and angry because your dog is ruining the carpet or leaving fresh soppy “surprises” in the worst places. When you think about it… it really is kind of sad.

Let’s get into your dog’s mind: When your dog’s potty training issue is surely a behavioral issue, then you must understand what your dog is thinking. It is simply doing what nature called it to do. That is, making sure to leave its doggy scent for you to follow home!

Believe me, you might want to check to see if you are the pack leader, especially when you’re sure that your older dog is capable of being potty trained. (Remember, it is important to be fair to your dog’s physical condition.)

Once you establish that it is possible to potty train your older dog, then you must let your dog know that YOU are the PACK LEADER.

Your dog will relax and start learning to “leave your scent alone” and stop trying to make sure that you can “smell” your way home. Remember your dog is doing just what a dog thinks it should do.

So, yes, it is possible to potty train an older dog. As long as you are being the pack leader.