Did you know that training an adult Pug is actually a shared effort between you, your family and the Pug? You might think that a full grown Pug who may have even been potty trained in the past can just as easily adjust to being in your home. This is not the case. It takes time and commitment for a Pug to get used to the way your home is run and to learn your home's elimination schedule.



That's not realistic. The Pug has many adjustments to his new environment and doesn't instinctively know that you don't allow peeing on the floor - especially his prior owner didn't mind or didn't seem to care.

Assuming that your Pug will just automatically know what to do is a mistake. You will need to start completely from scratch as if the Pug were a puppy and gradually teach him the way your pet potty schedule operates.

A good place to start is by crate training or restricting the Pug to going in the bathroom only. Then you can make up a schedule for potty time. Once a Pug is grown it is very picky about where it uses the potty. Typically, they prefer not to use it where they eat, sleep or play.

When walking your Pug, be sure to help him find a spot in your yard and make sure to always go back to the same spot each subsequent time. Take careful watch of your Pug's elimination patterns for a few weeks to determine what's best for him.

Keeping your Pug on a schedule is important so be sure to feed your Pug at the same times each day. He may have never had this type of organization in his life before so it is crucial to remain patient while he adjusts. The old phrase, "you can't teach a Pug new tricks" is a common misconception. In fact, you can teach a Pug anything if you just practice a little consistency.

Your Pug may have also come from an abusive household. Even things like yelling or smacking the Pug with a newspaper could have caused your pet a lot of fear. This is why you need to be patient and build the Pug's confidence so that he understands your intentions and can make adjustments without being afraid.

There will be accidents, so be prepared to clean it up and move forward. Don't assume that an adult Pug will be any easier to train than a puppy. Both Pugs would face the same adjustment issues. You have to train with consistency and affection so that you reinforce the responses that you want repeated.

An older male Pug may be accustomed to marking his territory by urinating on it. This is an instinctive behavior for male Pugs - you aren't going to break him of it without breaking his spirit or having him neutered.