Potty Training in the Heat Advice Needed
 

I know this may sound strange to a lot of you in the middle of April, but here in the Phoenix area we will be hitting 100 degrees tomorrow and I was wondering how potty training to go outdoors is handled in the heat?

Millie is doing ok, but she can get very distracted when we go outside and this leads to longer stays outside. But now that it is getting hot I am not quit sure what to do. Today when we have gone out she seems to look up at me and say "what is this?". I know both of us are uncomfortable until we can get back inside to the a/c.

I am feeling like I should have thought of this sooner and committed to indoor training.

Any suggestions?

~C

I would assume its handled the same way as people living in the freezing cold states. They go outside, do their business as quick as can be, and then come back inside.

I trained mine to go outside not matter what the weather. On potty breaks she is out there usually for 1-2 minutes depending on what needs to be done. a lot of the time its just a quick pee and right back in.

To train them to do this you need to be out there with them on a leash at first until they get the idea. no wandering around and no playing. Just in and out and they get a really good treat once they get back in the house.

Nikko and I 100% second this advice! Nikko is around 8mo old now, and we're in the middle of a wave of 95 degree days. He does his business outside quicker than he did when it was in the seventies here, sure, but he still knows that outside is the place to go, and indoors is unacceptable. Some people have even mentioned that it is better to be in the depths of potty training when the weather is less than perfect because the pup has another bit of motivation to do his business quicker. I don't know if I completely agree, but it's possible.

Distractions are difficult because at a young age EVERYTHING is a distraction, but that's where using a leash helps. You can redirect with a leash, learn where her favorite poop spot is and make sure she stays over there to do her business instead of getting distracted by something fun looking in another part of the yard, and have her close by to extract the zillion different distractions that go in their mouths when you really wish they would just hurry up and pee!

Don't give up... I am soooooooo happy that Nikko does his business outside now instead of on little pads all over the inside of my home. It's worth it, I think. But it does take a lot of time and patience, no doubt about that. I thought potty training would NEVER end.... and then one day, it did. I don't worry at all anymore, and it's heaven. You'll get there too. :)

Lauren & Nikko

Thanks! I needed to hear that encouragement.

We will just keep plugging away and hope for that day when I don't have to worry about it any more.

~C