Laughter as German Shepherds Play In The Rain When They Should Be Going Potty!
If your dog won’t pee in the rain, welcome to the club! My dogs seem to lock their bladders down when it is raining or there is wet ground, and they’ll flat-out refuse to potty in a thunderstorm. Sometimes, they’ll even refuse to go outside at all, and I just have to accept that they’re going to have an accident inside. Oh well, it’s all part of dog ownership.
Brett Dugas—a dog lover who shares videos of his dogs on his TikTok @DogLifeWithBrett—has the opposite issue. Brett’s two German Shepherds love to play in the rain, and instead of focusing on going potty, they prefer to frolic and play during a thunderstorm! In a video of what he calls “the infamous thunderstorm potty,” Brett gives his dogs a pep talk right before letting them into the yard to relieve themselves.
“It’s thunderstorming out there. We have to be quick and efficient…keep our composure, okay? We’re just going outside to potty,” says Brett to his German Shepherds who are paying attention, but clearly more focused on getting outside. “We just go quickly, and then we get back in and dry. No wet dogs.” Famous last words, Brett!
Brett’s dogs have better things to do than go potty, and both instantly start exploring, playing, and getting wet. The dogs make a beeline to a puddle and start splashing around, they get zoomies, and they even roll around in the wet grass. Brett finally gets the dogs to relieve themselves, but they’re far from dry as they head back inside.
So, what kind of dog do you have? My dog won’t go out in the rain to pee because they hate it, but other dog owners—like Brett—can’t get their dog to poop or pee in the rain because they’re having too much fun!
@doglifewithbrett The infamous thunderstorm potty. Sharing again as this week we will finally have “Dog Thoughts” version of this video! Stay tuned 🙌. #fyp #foryou #dogs #dog #dogsoftiktok #funnydog #haha #pets #animals #laugh #doglover #puppy #tiktok #germanshepherd #doglife #lol #fy #fypage #🤣 ♬ original sound – Doglifewithbrett
Why Won’t My Dog Pee In The Rain?
If you were to tell someone who has never owned a dog, “my dog won’t pee outside in the rain,” they might think you were exaggerating. If you’ve never had to try to convince a dog to pee when that dog won’t go to the bathroom in the rain usually, you can’t imagine how stubborn they can be. On the flip side, plenty of dogs get too excited by the rain to focus on peeing—either way, it’s a frustrating issue to have when you want to be inside and dry.
It can be hard to pinpoint specific reasons why dogs avoid pooping outside in the rain, or peeing when it’s wet, but there are a few tentative assumptions you could make.
- Strange noises and smells like rain or thunder can make your dog nervous or be distracting.
- Getting wet can be uncomfortable, cold, and distracting—many dogs don’t like getting their feet wet and are bothered by the lower visibility and physical discomfort.
- Storms can be stimulating and if they don’t make your dog nervous, they could make them excited. If your dog wants to play, explore, or investigate puddles but your dog won’t go to bathroom in the rain, they’re probably just having fun.
- Lack of potty training can also contribute to dogs that won’t pee in the rain. If you haven’t worked to train your dog to associate potty breaks with going potty, they might just think you’re out for a walk and not know that they’re supposed to go potty. If they’re also distracted or distressed by the rain, they especially won’t think to potty.
How To Train Your Dog To Go Potty In The Rain
If you’ve been saying “my dog won’t pee in the rain” for years, there’s still hope that they can learn. Here are a few tips for training your dog to go potty in a thunderstorm:
- Use positive reinforcement like praise and treats to reward your dog when they go potty outside. Associating something positive with peeing in the rain is one of the fastest ways to encourage this behavior.
- Dress your dog appropriately by putting them in a rain jacket or booties—if they’ll tolerate them.
- Go outside with your dog if you let them in the yard to potty. Rain and thunder can be scary, but having a companion can help dogs feel a little safer.
- Teach your dog a cue like “go potty” to help reinforce that going pee or poop is the right thing to do.
- Be patient!
What To Do In the Meantime If Your Dog Won’t Pee In the Rain
“My dog won’t go to the bathroom in the rain no matter how much training I do!”
Don’t give up. Keep working with your dog to help them learn how to quickly go potty in the rain. In the meantime, be patient and understanding—you might just need to expect accidents for a while until they’ve had more training. You can also do a few things to make it easier for your dog to potty even if they won’t while wet:
- Find a dry space for your dog outdoors like under a building overhang, a covered porch, or a large tree.
- Use pee pads to handle indoor pottying and avoid messes. If your dog doesn’t know how to use pee pads, take some time to teach them.
- Buy your dog a raincoat to keep them a little more comfortable outside. My dogs wear raincoats, and while they still don’t like getting their paws wet, having dry heads and backs helps them stay a little more calm.
