There may be certain instances when you have to re-train an older dog. This may occur when you have gotten your dog from a shelter. Many times, when dogs are placed in shelters, either they were abused or a family could no longer take care of them and so while they may have been initially trained, being in the shelter may not have given them an opportunity to use what they had already learned. This will require you to be a little patient and to be willing to take the time to train them again. In many cases, it is important to start from scratch. If your dog has already been trained, this should speed up his or her re-training. However, if they have never been trained, count on the process to take a little more time.

The first thing that you will want to do is to establish a routine. Make sure that you take your pet out at around the same time each day. Therefore, if you start by taking him out in the evenings after work make sure this is something that you do on a regular basis. When your dog does something correct like urinates and defecates outside where he or she is supposed to, make sure that you really give them a lot of praise and treats. Make sure that you do so right after they have gone to the bathroom, so that they understand what they're being praised for.
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