Potty Training Your Puppy—Potty Puppy Training Tips.com
The first and most important thing you need to do is to train your puppy that they must do their job outside. As far as your dog is concerned the world, with the general exception of their bed, is their toilet. It’s up to you to train them to learn that outside is the only acceptable place to go. It’s not hard to do but it does take some commitment for you to follow a step by step program.
Even though may look at your puppy as a cute and cuddly object you have to break out of those habits you may have already started of dismissing bad behavior. Your puppy will learn from you and will become master of the house if you let them. It’s instinct that if you don’t become the alpha dog your puppy will. Take control of this potty training process right away and you and the dog will be much happier—guaranteed.
To start, the puppy needs to be kept in a confined area in the house and that doesn’t mean in your bedroom or your lap. This is not punishment. This is training that will pay huge benefits for the entire time you have the dog. The entire process includes lots of praise for the desired behavior. Dogs will react to your mood and your praise signifies a good mood that will translate to a wagging tail.
Step 1: Get a crate or kennel for your puppy. When you are away from home or not interacting with the dog he should be in the crate. They will recognize this as ‘home base’ and will also act as a safe and secure location—just like the dens of their ancestors. Even at night the dog should be in the crate. They may whine at first but will get used to the idea. The dog should not be given free run of the house as this could add to feelings of dominance. The home will become his territory and not yours. Most dogs will not make a mess in their kennels, and that can lessen the possibility of an accident in the house. The crate should be large enough for your dog to sit up, stand, and turn around. If the crate is to large it will make your dog feel less secure and too small will be uncomfortable. If your dog is going to grow larger you may have to invest in larger kennels. What I did with one of my dogs was to put a cardboard spacer inside the crate to make it appear smaller to the dog as a puppy. When he got larger I just removed the piece of cardboard. If you maintain the crate well and you should be able to sell it on something like Craigslist or at a yard sale.
In the beginning someone will have to be around the puppy most of the time. Don’t get a puppy just before you leave for a vacation or other extended absence. One of the best days to get a puppy is Friday so you have at least two days to concentrate on housebreaking. That way you can spend a lot of time with the puppy and get to know some of its ‘signals’ and getting it set on a regular schedule of potty breaks outside. And lots of praise after he does his job outside. If there’s an accident in the house never rub the dog’s nose in it.
Step 2: Besides lots of praise you may use treats for housebreaking and other training. Buy a variety of treats of the size that your dog can handle. You may have to cut up some that are a little large. Don’t keep them in your pocket. Use a Ziploc bag or buy one that clips to your belt. There are all sorts of different kinds available, make sure to get ones that your little puppy can handle chewing up. You might even cut up the treats into small, bite sized pieces.
Step 3: For potty training you should use a stopwatch or something else that can be used as a timer. Some people, because they are apartment dwellers or because of physical reason will use pee pee pads with small dogs. This can be a convenience for apartment dwellers or for folks that find it difficult to be able to take the dog out regularly. There are some grass beds that can be used instead of the pee pad. They present a more appealing look and are better for the smell problem. This can be an acceptable choice if your puppy is going to use a balcony to do his business. I would be reluctant to use either of those if the dog is going to grown into a medium or larger size dog.
Step 4: Get set up on a schedule. You should feed and the dog at the same time every day. Some folks feed dogs twice a day, some only once. Your dog will give you clues as to which it prefers. Whenever you feed the dog he should be given a set amount of time; no more than thirty minutes to eat and then take the food away. After the dog has eaten he should immediately be taken out to go potty. You MUST be the one to choose the area of your yard that you want the dog to use as a toilet and take him to that area. Walk the dog around the area and use a phrase that works for you like “Go Potty”. Eventually the dog will get used to the routine and what you say and he will react to them for the rest of his life. It’s also very important to make sure that everyone in the household who will take the dog out uses the same phrase.
Continue to use the phrase while the puppy goes potty, until he is completely finished. Once he is done praise him and give him affection and a small treat. If he does not go potty within five minutes take him back inside and put him in his kennel. Wait fifteen to twenty minutes and try it again. A general rule of thumb is that a puppy can hold it for one hour for every month of age plus one hour. If your dog is two months old he should be able to hold it for three hours. This does not mean you should wait three hours before taking him out.
During the day you will need to repeat this process at least once every hour, even if the puppy has not eaten. Each time your puppy has a successful potty trip praise him, give him a small treat, and give him some supervised play time.
Step 5: When it’s bedtime your puppy should be locked in his kennel. I would try to avoid this but while he is still young you might want to move the crate into your bedroom at night, to make both you and the puppy feel more secure. You don’t want to cross the fine line of doggy dependency. Definitely, do not feed or give and water to your puppy near bedtime and try to get him to go potty one more time before you turn in. When he is still very small you may want to get up once during the night and take him out to the potty area of the yard.
Following these steps you should have your puppy trained in less than a week. No dog is perfect and you may still have problems. You might have to adjust your schedule to better suit the needs of the dog. You’re making a commitment so you have make adjustments. Be patient because even the best trained dogs can have an accident. Keep some carpet cleaner around and clean up immediately. Don’t punish the puppy for accidents especially by rubbing their nose into the mess. It was an accident. They don’t do this on purpose to get back at you for something. They are not like humans, fortunately. They just want your love and approval and you will get the same in return and a great, unconditionally loving companion.
Learn How to Potty Train Your Puppy
