Many greyhounds haven’t had the opportunity to learn about toilet training. Therefore, your new greyhound may need some help to learn how to tell you that they need to go outside to toilet. Remember that they will make mistakes as they learn, this is normal, just like it is for a puppy being toilet trained. Being patient and clear in your guidance will help establish the required behaviour quickly. Look for signals such as restlessness, sniffing around or standing at the door whimpering. Most dogs will need to toilet after waking up or after eating, so be sure to give them the opportunity to go outside at these times. It is always a good idea to take them out last thing at night so that they and you can have a full night’s sleep. When taking them outside it is helpful to keep them on a leash so that they aren’t distracted and saying a cue word such as ‘wee wee’ and giving praise and even a treat when they relieve themselves outside, will help reinforce that this is desired behaviour.
Never punish them for making a mess as this is likely to delay learning and may even result in hiding away and messing in the house. If an accident does occur, quickly remove the mess and take the dog outside, then clean the area with strong disinfectant (non-ammonia type is recommended). During the learning process, it may be helpful to lay newspaper near the door so that if they can’t get out quickly, the mess can be cleaned up quickly.
If your greyhound is having difficulty learning toilet training and has frequent accidents inside, it is advisable to seek professional veterinary advice as it may indicate anxiety, fear or a medical problem such as a urinary tract infection.
The following video is helpful to get you started in toilet training your greyhound.
