How Do You Teach Your Dog to Go to the Bathroom on Snowy or Rainy days?

 Does your dog "hold it" when the weather doesn't cooperate? Many dogs change their potty habits when it snows or rains especially heavily, or when it gets a little too cold for them.

While it might not seem like a terrible thing to do at first, having a dog who refuses to go outside can lead to indoor accidents—not to mention a very unhappy puppy. Here are some suggestions to help your dog brave the elements.

Find Out the Root Issue

There are many reasons why dogs refuse to go to the bathroom during inclement weather, including personality, size, age and coat type. Knowing what is affecting your dog will help you find a solution more easily. For example, terrain may not only look different in bad weather, but also smell and feel different. It can be slippery, itchy, and rough, especially with cold pads, and dogs that have been trained to walk only on grass can get confused when they can't see grass.

Dogs, especially those with small paws or thin coats, can be very sensitive to cold weather, and when the temperature drops, dogs can become very stressed outside, meaning they cannot move, do anything, or even can't urinate.

Clear a Space

When dogs learn where to pee, they make connections with their surroundings, including the feel of grass, rocks, or mulch under their paws. When these surfaces are wet, extremely cold, or obscured by inches of snow, the landscape feels different, leading to confusion.

One way to help them is to make the ground feel as close as possible to what they are used to. If possible, you may want to take the time to clear a small patch of grass in your yard so your pet can see and feel the grass. It feels even better if you clean up its frequent bathroom visits.

Designate a Specific Bathroom Location

One way to deal with your dog's refusal to go outside is to get the dog used to a particular toilet when the weather is nice. If you keep taking him to the same spot to go to the toilet, he'll eventually see the connection. Then, when it's raining or snowing, you can trigger that connection by taking him to the same place.

Additionally, dogs like to mark places that other animals have marked. If you don't have a backyard, take your dog to a familiar spot, one where other dogs use to defecate.

Wear Weather-appropriate Clothing

Get your dog used to all weathers while he's still young. What a fun way to take your pet outside to play in the snow when it first starts to snow. You could also try taking him for a walk in the rain to make it a fun day.

When it's really cold, especially if you have a short-haired dog, don't be afraid to dress him. If the dog can tolerate a sweater or jacket then I would encourage them to wear it. Still, if they've never been through snow before, putting on clothes and snow at the same time can create sensory overload.

While some dogs don't like boots, if your dog can stand it, wear boots. However, no matter what you do, you should never leave your dog outside for extended periods of time on very cold days. Hypothermia and frostbite can happen to dogs just as quickly as they do to people.

Make It a Positive Experience

If you manage to get your dog to go to the outside potty in bad weather, make a big reward. When your dog urinates outside, reward him with a high-value treat (not the one he eats all the time).It's important to reward him right after he's done his thing while you're still outside so he associates the reward with pooping or peeing.

And while you're waiting for that to happen, avoid behaviors that stress your dog and may make him hate the whole experience even more. Instead, when you're trying to get your dog to go outside to the potty, take a deep breath and avoid impatient movements. It's tempting; no one likes standing in the cold waiting for their dog to pee. However, leaning and depressing can increase tension, which is not helpful when the dog is struggling to understand what you want him to do.

Disposable Pet Pads

If you still can't make your dog willing to go outside to the bathroom on snowy or rainy days through the above methods, maybe you really want to consider setting up an indoor toilet for him. The easiest way to do this is to use disposable pet pads, and when your dog wants to go to the bathroom, take it to the pet pads.

Thanks for your time, hope this article has been of help to you. You can also check out our other news to learn more about pets.