Potty Train Your Older Pug Dog
I've known several Pug owners that have been surprised when their previously potty trained Pug suddenly "fell off the wagon" and made a huge mess in the house. "There's no way that will be me!" is their most common reaction.
And it's natural if one thinks there must be another cause for the mess, such as a broken pipe or a faucet left on...until the moment when the Pug is caught in the act!
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.
The medical reasons will be covered first, since the majority of cases can be traced to that cause, rather than the psychological. It is important that the reasons for such behavior be pointed out and thoroughly checked before any retraining techniques are instituted.
It's common knowledge among many dog owners know that the aging process of their Pug will present with poor vision and hearing. In addition, it's typical for there to be signs of arthritis, decreased appetite, and more frequent naps or longer sleep periods. But what's surprising to many owners is that potty training is one of the most common signs of aging!
Since this is not widely known, it's understandable that Pug owners think that his Pug has forgotten potty training, is not as smart as previously thought, is lazy, or has turned into a sneaky little dog. The truth is that this behavior is more likely the first sign of the inevitable aging process. In fact, as your Pug gets older, the muscles of the bladder gradually lose their control, much like older human experience.
For male Pugs, aging can also lead to the prostate gland getting bigger, which then leads to an inflammation that will cause him to pee much more often. Also, about 75% of Pugs over the age of 8 suffer from kidney disease. As Pug dogs get older, there is a gradual degeneration of kidney tissue with a weakening of the kidney function, resulting in more bladder control problems.
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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by: MichelleE.Arthur
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