Potty Training A Puppy Made Easy

Teaching your adorable pup to potty at the right place at the right time is first step you can take for spending quality time together. Soiling accidents sadly are listed as the top reasons why puppies end up in shelters or losing their home. Not many dog owners are willing to put up with a puppy that leaves a stinky mess on the rugs, flooring and every other place.

If you have decided to bring a puppy home or you already have one, here are some potty training tips and tricks that will work best for your situation.

Make a Plan

It is recommended that you do some research about the different potty training methods in advance to see what would work best for your canine friend. There are pros and cons to each method, but you can use them to advantage if you follow a few simple tips including:

• Keep a consistent schedule
• Reward your puppy for using the designated bathroom area
• ​Control your puppy’s diet
• Control your puppy’s diet

Crate Potty Training 101

Most first time puppy owners cringe at the idea of ‘crate’ potty training, but you will be surprised to know that it is one of the most effective training methods. Crate would keep your furry ball secure and it would make your life easier.

Dogs generally love to stay in their den and your pup would love his or her crate. An important thing to remember is that you must keep your pet’s crate clean at all times. Also, make sure the crate you choose is just the right size for your puppy.

Ideally, the crate you should use for potty training should be big enough for your puppy to sit, stand and lie comfortably. If your pup can’t turn around or the crate is too large, you might need to adjust the crate size.

Puppies usually let you know when they need to use the bathroom by scratching, whining and moving in circles – you can call this ‘the bathroom dance!” This is a signal that your pup needs to empty his bladder or bowels and you need to pick him out of his crate and take him to his bathroom spot.

You should never let your puppy soil the crate because he or she will get the idea that it is perfectly around to poop where humans live too. And the last thing you want to see is dog pee and poop on your pillow.

What is The Right Puppy Potty Training Age?

For your benefit, you can start potty training your puppy as early as possible. However you have to understand that like ‘human babies,’ puppies need time to learn and you should not expect magic results.

Some people make the mistake of waiting until their puppy is 6 months old. Well, you can start training young pups the day you bring them home and you should have no problems after 6 to 8 months.

Puppies have an active digestive system – it’s more like a conveyer belt. The moment you give them food, it would come out of the other end. You need to be patient with your puppy and more importantly, you cannot expect them to control their bowel and bladder like grownup or adult dogs.

Puppy Potty Training Schedule

Puppies have active tiny digestive system and the food you give would run right through them. That’s right; food and water go in and immediately, come out. The key to successful training is to design the right potty training schedule for your puppy.

Generally a pup can control his bladder and bowel movement for the number of hours that corresponds to their age. For example, if your puppy is 3 months, it can hold it for about 3 hours. Expecting your 3 or even 6 month puppy to hold it in for 9 to 12 hours is unreasonable – if you have any doubts, imagine doing it yourself.

House breaking or potty training doesn’t happen overnight. But having a crate can help your puppy adjust to his new bathroom schedule. You also need to remember that all puppies are different and the number of bathroom trips will differ for each.

You should take your puppy to his bathroom spot outdoors or inside your home:

When the alarm clock goes off in the morning, pick your puppy out of the crate and take him outside for a bathroom break. Remember, you should not stop to check your phone or make coffee for yourself. When your puppy is little, you need to carry him or her outside to prevent him from stopping and peeing or pooping on the floor.

It can take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes for your pup to potty after meals. Most puppies require three to four small meals when they are growing fast and they will have to pee and poop after every meal. You should take your puppy to the bathroom after they drink a big bowl of water or chew their favorite toys and bones.

There are few other occasions when your puppy will need to go to the bathroom – these include activity or play time and getting up after naps. Make sure you are watching your puppy while playing because the stimulation of the digestive tract during activity time might give him the urge to go potty.

Once you have established a consistent potty training routine, you should reward your puppy for doing business at the same spot. Soon enough your puppy will realize that he should poop in the litter box or the designated area outside. Remember, if there’s an accident, don’t scold your pet instead, clean the mess and continue to train them.

Therefore, in summary, your canine friend will be on the way to success with the right potty training schedule and consistent training. Remember, when it comes to potty training, patience, persistence and consistency would pay you well.