The best house training uses the French Bulldogs own instincts to avoid soiling its bed to train the dog where and where not to eliminate.
That is the basis behind crate training, in which the dog is confined to its crate in the absence of the owner, and den training, in which the French Bulldog is confined to a small area of the home. In essence, the crate, or the room, becomes the dog’s den.
French Bulldogs are naturally very clean animals, and they try their best to avoid using their dens as toilets.
This type of training usually works very well, both for puppies and for older French Bulldogs. Problems with this type of toilet training are usually the result of not understanding the signals the French Bulldog is sending, not being consistent with feeding times, or trying to rush the process.
While the house training process can be sped up somewhat by consistently praising the French Bulldog and rewarding it for toileting in the proper place, some French Bulldogs cannot be rushed through this important process. It is always best to house train the French Bulldog properly the first time than to go back and retrain a problem French Bulldog.
If the French Bulldog continues to soil the den area after house training, the most likely reason is that the owner has left the French Bulldog in the den for too long. Another reason may be that the den area is too large. In this case, the best strategy is to make the den area smaller or to take the French Bulldog to the toilet area more frequently.
If the French Bulldog soils the bed that has been provided in the den area, it is most likely because the owner has left the dog there for too long, and the dog had an understandable accident. Or it could be that the French Bulldog has not yet adopted this area as the bed. In addition, urinary tract infections and other medical conditions can also cause dogs to soil their beds. It is important to have the dog thoroughly checked out by a veterinarian to rule out any medical problems.
One other reason for house training accidents that many people overlook is boredom. French Bulldogs who are bored often drink large amounts of water and therefore must urinate more frequently than you might think.
If you notice your French Bulldog consuming large amounts of water, be sure to take the dog to the established toilet area more often, and provide the dog with toys and other distractions to eliminate boredom.
Boredom is the root cause of many French Bulldog behavior problems, not only house training issues. Chewing and other destructive behaviors are also often caused by boredom and separation anxiety. Other problems with house training can occur when the French Bulldog’s den is not properly introduced. In some cases French Bulldogs can react to the den as if it is a prison or a punishment.
Those French Bulldogs may exhibit signs of anxiety, such as whining, chewing and excessive barking. It is important for the dog to feel secure in its den, and to think of it as a home and not a cage. The best way to house train a Frenchie puppy or French Bulldog, or to re-house train a problem French Bulldog, is to make yourself aware of the French Bulldog’s habits and needs.
Creating a healthy, safe sleeping and play area for your French Bulldog, as well as a well defined toilet area, is important for any house training program.