Potty Train Your Older Pug Dog | Dogs

By MichelleE.Arthur
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Word Count: 490

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!

The screaming and disbelief was followed by the slam of the back door as the old family pet is quickly banished out-of-doors like a nine-week old puppy that had just had an accident. Such harsh and fast action in such an instance can have serious and detrimental effects on the older Pug. Whenever a completely housebroken Pug starts urinating in the house, there is a medical or psychological cause involved.

Let's cover the medical reasons first, since this is the most typical cause of the problem in older Pugs. You need to carefully consider and diagnosis the problem here before you start on a treatment and/or retraining program.

Many Pug dog owners believe that their dog will show signs of aging with reduced vision and poor hearing. They figure that signs of arthritis, decreased appetite, and more frequent naps are also typical aging symptoms. They are quite surprised though when they learn that house training is one of the most common marks of aging in mature Pugs and subsequently one of the first warning signs!

Pug owners are often particularly surprised and confused, and as a result they blame their dog for back-sliding on potty training. In reality, this is likely a sign that your Pug dog is simply getting older. That's because the muscles of the bladder gradually lose control as Pugs (and people!) age.

In the male, the aging process can also cause the prostate gland to enlarge, and this will produce an inflammation which will cause him to urinate often. Kidney diseases occurs in about 76% of Pugs over eight years of age. When a Pug ages, there is a gradual degeneration of kidney tissue with a weakening of the kidney function.

The older Pug should drink at least twice the amount of water than a younger Pug since the older Pug's kidneys will require it. Naturally, this will involve more frequent urination, thus more trips to the bathroom.

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.

Avoid yelling at your Pug or scolding him, as this will lead to a worsening of the situation and further problems.

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