The trusty boston terrier is currently the 23rd most commonly kept dog breed in the USA and with its popularity comes a large number of questions month in and month out about keeping a pet boston terrier.
One question that we do commonly see people asking about is why their pet boston terrier keeps peeing in the house and boston terriers can have the reputation of being difficult to potty train.
Boston terriers are notoriously difficult to potty train and one of the most common issues that dog owners have with them is that they keep peeing in the house.
There can be a number of reasons why your boston terrier is doing this, but the most common one is that they are not getting enough chances to relieve themselves outside.
A lack of consistency in the training program for your boston terrier, especially as a puppy can also increase the chances of a boston terrier peeing in the house too.
In some cases, if you have multiple dogs in your home, your boston terrier may intentionally pee to mark their territory or mask the scent of the other dogs in your home but this is rare and often easy to discourage.
How Often Does A Boston Terrier Need To Pee?
The average boston terrier needs to pee around six times a day, although this can vary depending on their age, size, diet and how much water they drink. Puppies will need to pee more often than adult boston terriers as their bladders are still growing and maturing.
Making sure that your boston terrier has ample opportunity to relieve themselves outside is the best way to prevent them from having accidents in the house.
If you work long hours or are not home during the day, it may be necessary to hire a dog walker or pet sitter to take your boston terrier out for a potty break.
Boston terriers, like all dogs, drink more water on hot days and as a result, pee more. This is because dogs pant to cool down, and when they pant, they also drink a lot of water.
If you live in a hot climate or your boston terrier spends a lot of time outside in the summer, be sure to give them plenty of access to water and take them out more frequently to avoid accidents.
Why Does My Boston Terrier Keep Peeing In The House?
There can be a number of reasons why your boston terrier is doing this, but the most common one is that they are not getting enough chances to relieve themselves outside.
A lack of consistency in the training program for your boston terrier, especially as a puppy can also increase the chances of a boston terrier peeing in in the house.
As with all breeds of dog, the older your boston terrier is, the more likely they are to have accidents in the house.
This may be due to a range of issues such as health problems, mobility issues or simply a reluctance to go outside in bad weather. If your boston terrier is regularly having accidents in the house, it is important to take them to the vet for a check-up to rule out any health issues.
Accidents can also happen if your boston terrier is not getting enough exercise or stimulation during the day. A bored boston terrier is more likely to start chewing on things or barking excessively, but they may also start urinating in the house as a way of gaining attention.
How Do I Stop My Boston Terrier From Peeing In The House?
There are a number of things that you can do to stop your boston terrier from peeing in the house.
The most important is to make sure that they have ample opportunity to relieve themselves outside, especially if you are not home during the day. You may need to hire a dog walker or pet sitter to take them out to do their business throughout the day.
There are a number of pee pads for dogs that you can use in your home to catch any accidents that may happen. However, it is important to remember that these should only be used as a temporary measure and not as a long-term solution.
Similar to peepads that are intended as a temporary training aid, there are a number of indoor pee stations for dogs that even come with real or fake grass depending on the model that can be used as a long term solution.
These indoor pee stations work by giving your boston terrier a designated spot to relieve themselves that is easy for you to clean up with the scent of the grass naturally encouraging your dog to pee there.
Use positive reinforcement when your boston terrier goes to the bathroom on these indoor pee stations to encourage them to repeat the behavior. This can be in the form of treats, petting or even verbal praise.
Avoid using negative reinforcement such as scolding or punishment with your boston terrier as this has been proven to actually slow the training process down.
If your boston terrier is peeing in the house due to medical problems or old age, there are a number of products on the market that can help to make things easier for both you and your boston terrier. These include doggy diapers, belly bands and even indoor pee stations with real or fake grass.
Doggy diapers and belly bands work by catching any accidents that may happen and preventing your boston terrier from getting urine on their fur or your floor.
These can be particularly useful if you boston terrier is incontinent or has mobility issues that make it difficult for them to get outside in time.
Are Boston Terriers Hard To Potty Train?
Boston terriers are considered a difficult breed to potty train. This is due to their stubbornness and unwillingness to listen to their owners.
It is important to be consistent with your training and be firm but gentle when correcting them. Rewards such as treats, petting or verbal praise can be helpful in reinforcing good behavior during potty training.
It can be harder to potty train a boston terrier if you are an inexperienced dog owner but if you have previously potty trained other dogs then boston terriers should not present too much of a challenge.
Yes, they will be more difficult than some other breeds, even if you use treats to encourage desired behavior but they can definitely be potty trained correctly.
Although the natural personalities of boston terriers do make them more difficult to potty train, this is compounded by people new to keeping dogs getting a boston terrier as their first dog.
This means the person training the dog has minimal experience in potty training a dog to start with and then they complain about how hard of a time they are having on social media.
Are There Medical Reasons My Boston Terrier May Be Peeing In The House?
There are a number of medical reasons why your boston terrier may be peeing in the house. If your boston terrier is peeing more than usual, it is important to take them to the vet to rule out any health problems.
Urinary tract infections and bladder stones are two of the most common medical reasons why dogs may pee in the house.
Although old age is not technically a medical reason, it is worth mentioning as it can contribute to your boston terrier peeing in the house. As boston terriers age, they may develop incontinence or mobility issues that make it difficult for them to get outside in time to relieve themselves.
Thankfully, some of the issues that can cause your boston terrier to pee in the house in their younger years are easy to treat with medication. For example, urinary tract infections can be cleared up with a course of antibiotics and bladder stones can be removed surgically.
