Food, Water, and Exercise
To improve your shepherd's rate of housetraining success, you can manipulate his feeding times and exercise schedule so that you can anticipate his need to relieve himself. When a puppy or dog drinks, the water works through his body relatively quickly — usually within an hour. When a puppy or dog eats, he will usually have a bowel movement within thirty minutes of cleaning his dish.
Planning exercise times can assist in making your shepherd's schedule more consistent, too. Exercise is very effective at stimulating bladder and bowel movements in your dog. You can expect a puppy or adult to relieve himself during or immediately after exercise and play sessions.
While a dog sleeps, his body produces a hormone that slows the production of urine. However, if he takes a long drink right before he retires for the night, he will need to relieve himself again. One way to help young puppies and learning adults make it through the night is to remove the water bowl one hour prior to bedtime. Then, right before he retires to his crate, send him out one more time to relieve himself.
Spaying of large-breed female dogs can cause incontinence — from very mild to severe. Fortunately, the female can be supplemented with the hormone that she's no longer producing in adequate supply, and this usually solves the situation.
Of course, removing the dog's water only works if your shepherd is calm and relaxed and nearly ready for sleep. If, on the other hand, he is out with the kids playing an endless game of fetch, he will need his water. Try to limit his evening activities during that last hour before bedtime, if you can. If you can't, allow him to drink water, but be prepared to wake up later in the night to let him out.
Schedules
Single people work. Married people often both work. In some cases, a spouse may stay at home or work from home, but rarely does a dog owner have the perfect arrangement for housetraining a puppy or an adult dog. If you're flexible, creative, and willing to work around your shepherd's needs, you can find a way to spend time with your dog without disrupting your work schedule.
Puppies require the most work. In general, they need to be let out every three hours and fed three times a day. The untrained adult dog can hold out longer; however, he, too, needs a midday break because he is confined to a crate during the day. If your trained adult dog has a dog door, he can go in and out at will. Otherwise, he will require a midday break as well.
If you own an adult shepherd that is accident-free for weeks, months, or years but suddenly has a random accident, or several accidents, take him to the veterinarian immediately. Don't assume it's incontinence or old age. It could be a urinary tract infection, pain or numbness in the spine, a tumor, or infected anal sacs, to name just a few possibilities.
If you work outside the home, you're probably a bit worried — you can't take off of work whenever your shepherd needs you. If this is your scenario, you'll need to consider several options.
One possibility is doggie day care. Your dog will have a blast, as long as the day care is run well — check references thoroughly. These facilities can cost as much as a week of child care and could be as much as $1,000 per month. Option two is to hire a pet walker or pet sitter to come into your home as often as necessary. Going rates for these services vary but could cost between $8 and $15 per visit. Another option is to ask for the help of a trusted neighbor, friend, or relative. Note that you must trust this person to come every day and do all the right things with your dog.
You can make almost any situation work with patience and persistence. Just remember that your shepherd needs consistent, reliable scheduling and care to trust you and feel secure. As long as you have the dog's best interests at heart, a plausible solution will present itself.
