Potty Train Your Older Pug Dog
Michelle E. Arthur
There is a certain element of surprise, perhaps even shock, when the owner of a perfectly trained and well-behaved adult Pug suddenly steps in a puddle. "No, it can't be!" He shrieks.
There's a sinking feeling when one realizes that it's the Pug dog that made the mess and not something as innocent as a leaky pipe or something.
Many people simply kick their older Pug outside when this happens to them. That's not the best advice though, and there can often be a negative impact on an older Pug when this happens. That's because it's usually a medical problem that's causing this behavior, and something that needs to be treated rather than overlooked.
Let's cover the medical reasons first, since this is the most typical cause of the problem in older Pugs. You need to carefully consider and diagnosis the problem here before you start on a treatment and/or retraining program.
Many Pug dog owners believe that their dog will show signs of aging with reduced vision and poor hearing. They figure that signs of arthritis, decreased appetite, and more frequent naps are also typical aging symptoms. They are quite surprised though when they learn that house training is one of the most common marks of aging in mature Pugs and subsequently one of the first warning signs!
Pug owners are often particularly surprised and confused, and as a result they blame their dog for back-sliding on potty training. In reality, this is likely a sign that your Pug dog is simply getting older. That's because the muscles of the bladder gradually lose control as Pugs (and people!) age.
In the male, the aging process can also cause the prostate gland to enlarge, and this will produce an inflammation which will cause him to urinate often. Kidney diseases occurs in about 76% of Pugs over eight years of age. When a Pug ages, there is a gradual degeneration of kidney tissue with a weakening of the kidney function.
Older Pugs need to drink 2x the amount of water that Pug pups to fight off these kidney problems. It's little wonder then, with such increased water consumption comes the need for more pees.
Unlike their younger days, mature Pug dogs will need to potty a lot more often. It's common for the dog to make itself clear by going to the door, ringing its bell, etc. And it's also common for owners to miss their Pug's signs because they're used to how things used to be. The Pug then has only one choice and ends up peeing in the home. No doubt the Pug is just as unhappy as you when things come to this.
When this happens, negative reinforcement will only make the situation worse, especially if the Pug tried to communicate to its owner and these signs were ignored.
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