Pet Health

French bulldogs are not easily potty trained? Tips for successfully training them

French bulldogs: When you add a peaceful and cheerful temper to bulldogs! Their adorable and expressive face attracts many. Since they are susceptible to shifts in temperature, it is necessary to keep them inside. That is why it's important to potty train them as soon as they are welcomed to your house. Here are some tips for successful training.

Habits of French Bulldogs Inherently, dogs don't have the habit to go to the toilet on a particular spot and it is natural for them to do that wherever they want inside houses first. If they start to have territoriality, they sometimes pee for marking. Also, dogs usually avoid making their bed dirty. Without cages, French bulldogs recognize the entire house to be their territory, and start to want to go to the potty outside. When you begin the potty training, you have to set up a place for them. Even though they hate solitude and love human company ,the existence of their own place is important for them to relax sometimes.
Problems with toilets If the toilet environment is not sufficient, French bulldogs tend to stop discharging. See to it that a toilet space can make dogs relax, is large enough and always stays clean. Especially, the size of the space is important for French bulldogs. If the size is not large enough, they may fail to discharge.
Coprophagia Coprophagia is common among not only French bulldogs but also dogs in general. If they successfully excrete, you should give them treats and praises. While they are distracted, you can take care of their excretion.

Here are some reasons why coprophagia (eating their own stool) happens:

Parasites: When they have parasites inside their bodies, they are nutrient deprived and they tend to eat their excretion to supplement the lack of nutrients. Also, parasites slow down digestive system. If you spot coprophagia, it is best to contact a vet and have an examination done.
Digestive deficiency: If their digestive system is not working properly, they cannot absorb enough nutrients. Smell and form of what they eat remains in their excretion, which can lead to coprophagia. Give them something easy to digest or supplements which helps digestion. Before doing so, do consult your vet and alter the diet basis medical advice.
Seeking attention: They may try to get attention of their owners. If they come to think that by coprophagia, they can get the attention, they may continue doing it afterwards. French bulldogs enjoy attention very much. When you spot it, don't give them what they want. It is a habit so be careful.
Boredom: French bulldog don't like to be left alone at home. If they are alone for too long, they feel bored and stressed, which can lead to coprophagia. When you go out, giving them things to play with to keep them from boredom can help. They like something to bite, as they have a strong jaw. Pick a suitable toy for that.

When to start the training?

The potty training should start as soon as you welcome your dog to your house, whether it is a puppy or an adult dog. It is possible to train them even after they become adults. You will need to be patient as they could behave stubborn as is their nature.

How long?

It depends from pet to pet, but they usually learn how to do it after a few weeks. Some French bulldogs need more time, so again, patience is required. Adult dogs discharge fewer times a day than puppies. For this reason, the training for them usually takes longer.

Let's discuss more in detail:

Location and size of toilets

Their toilets should be located far from noises to ensure they feel relaxed. French bulldogs need frequent attention in terms of their health and like to be around people. Thus, pick a quiet place in your sight. A place such as a corner in a living room, where it is easy to control the temperature and they can feel the presence of their family, thus desirable. Put a cage at a corner or beside a wall and set up a toilet, keeping a distance from their house. The size of the toilet should be big enough for their bodies so that even if they circle on toilets, their excretion lands on sheets.

Difference between puppies and adults, males and females

Puppies have premature bladders and therefore, they sometimes pee more than ten times a day. It is also usual for them to poop more than five times, but as they grow up, they discharge fewer times a day. More they do it, more opportunities there are to teach. There is no particular difference between males and females. French bulldogs don't usually have a strong territoriality, but as an instinctive behaviour, males sometimes do the marking. For older dogs, always keep in mind to set up a comfortable environment, such as a larger toilet space which is close to their favourite spots.

How to do the training

Take advantage of their habits to avoid discharging near their bed. Thus, it is important that they understand where their bed is. Provide their own territory where they can sleep fast. The territory should be a kind of place where they can feel the presence of their family for they dislike solitude.

Observe them so that you don't miss the sign. Recording the time of excretion helps a lot, can help make a routine, some signs:

Sniffing the floor
Circling on a spot
After they wake up
After they eat

French bulldogs are a gentle breed. They love human company. Give them a lot of praises and love them. If it doesn't go well, don't get impatient. Dogs sense the owner's stress. In that situation, don't forget to rethink the environment.