Before starting companion life, our hounds have been used to going to the toilet whenever and wherever they like. Luckily, most greyhounds are very easy to toilet train, but timing and management is essential. They’re like a puppy in terms of experience, so keep that in mind as you begin your journey with them.
When you first arrive home with your new family member, take them to the area where you want them to toilet and allow them some time to go to the toilet before going inside. This sets the foundation for them as they now know where the right place is to go and they will seek it out in future.
While toilet training, keep your hound in a smaller area of the house, don’t allow them to roam unattended. This way you can keep an eye out for signs that your hound is wanting to go to the toilet, some key signals are sniffing, circling, or standing near the door. Just like with a puppy, take your hound out after eating, naps, drinking, play and every hour on the hour until they get the hang of going in the right spot. Once they understand where they are meant to toilet you can stretch out the time between pitstops.
The more opportunities you provide for your hound to eliminate in an appropriate area, the more opportunities you have to reward them and help them learn. Decide on a cue word/phrase to help your hound learn to go wees on cue (very handy for long car trips or apartment living!)… for example “go toilet”. Be sure to say your word or phrase only once, right when your hound is doing a wee so your hound will associate the word or phrase with the action. Reward with a high value treat immediately after your hound does their business in the right space.
If you can’t give your hound free access to a yard for toileting and want to get your hound on a routine then you can record in a diary when your hound goes to the toilet and what they were doing beforehand to help you determine a pattern or recognise behaviours. That way you can make a fairly reasonable guess at when your hound will need a wee walk and you can organise walks around that timetable.
If your hound still isn’t putting two and two together, you could also collect a sample of wee and deposit it in the designated toileting area so they can smell it. Please remember accidents happen when your new hound is only learning, please don’t punish or startle your hound if they eliminate in an inappropriate area. Instead, take a moment to think about whether there were any signs you missed so you can be ahead of the game next time. Clean up any messes thoroughly with an enzymatic cleaner and try again. You will both get there!