The best area to let your dog do his or her “thing” is always outside the house. Besides not having to clean up and wipe off your dog’s waste, you can just leave the poop to serve as fertilizer on your backyard – YOUR backyard. Never ever leave poop on your neighbor’s lot as this will surely cause trouble. Anyway, it is not always a sunny day and there are times when we badly need to walk outside for our dog’s toilet time. There are dogs that even control their bowel and urine movement until they are allowed to go outside. But what if it is raining and you still need to walk your dog outside? Here are some tips.
First is do not be afraid of going outside for a quick bonding with your pooch. Dogs are naturally equipped with weather-standing coats and skin, so you don’t have to worry about them getting fever and colds. Short times under the rain wouldn’t do any harm. Next is desensitize your dog to water. Some dogs may exhibit fear or anxiety when suddenly sprinkled with water and in potty training under the rain, this is very important. You should make your dog feel comfortable in this weather condition so he would be able to finish his toilet activities. Furthermore, you can use raincoats and umbrellas to prevent you pooch from getting too wet and avoid blowdrying after. You may want to practice this first with your dog as some of them are not comfortable with wearing raincoats. When using umbrellas, on the other hand, make sure to tie him to leash of enough length that will allow the dog to stay under the umbrella. Although, this may take twice your effort since you have to hold it above him. The wet grass can also make your dog uncomfortable, so it is better to walk on the sidewalk, road, or gravel driveway. Don’t stop walking your dog as this stimulates elimination. Allow him to roam or sniff around and find his comfy area. And once he is done, praise him a lot and immediately walk him towards the house. This will give a message that elimination is what you want him to do and he would get rewards for it. It is also important to stay by your dog at all times because this will make him feel safer and a lot of comfortable.
