If you are thinking about housetraining an older Pug then it is important to understand that it involves as much of a commitment from your family as it does the Pug. While you may assume that since the Pug is already grown and may have very well been potty trained in another home, this is not the case. The Pug will have to adjust to your home and needs time to learn your home’s elimination schedule.
These types of high expectations for your new Pug are just unrealistic. A Pug needs to be able to make adjustments to its environment and understand that you will not tolerate peeing on the carpet. This is especially true if its previous owner did not seem to mind that sort of behavior.
Don’t make the mistake of assuming that because he’s an adult Pug that he’ll just “know” what to do. Start with him as if he were a puppy and gradually teach him the routine of your home’s pet potty schedule.
You probably need to start with crate training or restriction to a bathroom. Then set a schedule for potty breaks. Adult Pugs are very picky about finding a potty place outside that’s apart from where they play, just as they don’t like to potty near where they sleep or eat.
Help him find that place in your yard or outside when walking and return him there for subsequent potty breaks. You have to monitor the potty breaks for several weeks to learn your Pug’s elimination patterns.
Keeping your Pug on a schedule is important so be sure to feed your Pug at the same times each day. He may have never had this type of organization in his life before so it is crucial to remain patient while he adjusts. The old phrase, “you can’t teach a Pug new tricks” is a common misconception. In fact, you can teach a Pug anything if you just practice a little consistency.
Your Pug may have also come from an abusive household. Even things like yelling or smacking the Pug with a newspaper could have caused your pet a lot of fear. This is why you need to be patient and build the Pug’s confidence so that he understands your intentions and can make adjustments without being afraid.
There will be accidents, so be prepared to clean it up and move forward. Don’t assume that an adult Pug will be any easier to train than a puppy. Both Pugs would face the same adjustment issues. You have to train with consistency and affection so that you reinforce the responses that you want repeated.
Finally, older male Pugs have a tendency to mark their territory by peeing on things. It is an instinctive behavior which needs to be tended to by either breaking the Pug’s spirit or simply having the Pug neutered.
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