Potty training or house training your puppy is all about patience, consistency and positive reinforcement. The ultimate objective of the pet parent is to incorporate good habits within the puppy so that it helps in building a special bond between the puppy and you.
Typically, it should take 4-6 months for a puppy to be properly house-trained but there are few puppies that may extend the process to a year. Actually, the size of the puppy is the main consideration factor for the time that it may take to potty train. Smaller breeds have small bladders with higher metabolism rates. Hence they need trips outside more often that the bigger breeds.
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Learn How To Potty Train A Puppy: Tips For Pet Parents
The previous living conditions of your puppy are also a major indicator of the time that it may take to house train. You may realize that you have to break a few old habits of your puppy in order to be able to establish the new good habits within it.
While you’re house training your puppy, don’t worry when you face obstacles. As long as you have a pre-planned management program that includes taking him out at the first sign that he gives, he will learn gradually. To know more on potty training your pup, read on.
When is the right time to start potty training your pup?
When asked experts, they’ll tell you that you should start potty training your puppy when he is 12 weeks to 16 weeks old. By this time, he develops full control over his bladder and also on his bowel movements. He even learns to hold his pee and poop by this age.
While you bring him home, if your puppy is older than 12 weeks and if he has been eliminating in a cage, house training will definitely take a longer time. This is when you have to entirely reshape his behavior by encouraging him and giving him lots of rewards to keep him motivated.
Potty training your puppy – Quick glance at the steps
Potty training experts will recommend you to confine the puppy to a small space, whether in a room or a crate or even on a leash. As soon as your puppy realizes that he will have to go outside for his job, you can eventually give him more freedom to move around freely in the house. If you’re all set to start potty training, start following these steps.
- Keep the puppy on a strict feeding schedule and don’t give him any other food in between the meal times.
- The first thing in the morning that you should do is to take him out to eliminate and then continue this process every 30 minutes to one hour. You should also take him out after meals when he wakes from short naps. Ensure he goes out at night and before he is left alone at home.
- The spot where you take him to eliminate should be the same everyday. He will be willing to go by the scent that he gets.
- Stay with him when he releases his bowel and do this until you think he is fully potty trained.
- Whenever your puppy eliminates outside your house, reward him with a small treat so that he tries to repeat that for that nice reward.
Using crates as potty training tool – Are they effective?
Many new pet parents often crib to the idea of confining their puppies within a crate. However, this reluctance and hesitation to leverage this tool evaporates after few days of staying together with a new pet. Dog crates are things that will make your life easier and it is a great idea to make your dog accustomed to a crate for reasons like travel, visits, safety and convalescence.
Dogs are typically den animals and they will always search for a small canine cave even when you don’t provide it one. This makes it rather easy to train your dog and love the idea of a crate.
The main idea behind using this potty training tool is that dogs are clean creatures and hate the idea of urine-soaked rug at their living spaces. Hence, it is vital that the crate is of right size, just enough for the dog to comfortably lie down, stand and turn around. In case you give him a larger crate, he will think that it is okay to eliminate in a corner and lie down a bit away from the poop.
Whenever your puppy has an urge, he will inform you by scratching and whining. This is his signal that he has to go out of his den. This is the time when you should be prompt in taking action as when the pup loses control, he will get an idea that it is okay to mess in his living space. It is then that he will think it is also okay to leave by small packages where you live.
Potential signs that your puppy needs to poop
If you’re still trying to learn the signs through which your dog will try to tell you that he needs to eliminate, watch out for the following:
- Circling around
- Whining
- Barking
- Sniffing
- Scratching the door if he is confined
Once you see any of these signs, take him out immediately without any delay.
Dos and don’ts of potty training your puppy
While potty training your puppy, here are the dos and don’ts that you should keep in mind:
- Don’t punish your puppy for a sudden accident. If you do that, your puppy will start getting scared at you.
- In case you catch your puppy eliminating here and there, clap loudly so that he realizes instantly that he has done something that can’t be accepted by his parent. Call him out and take him gently by the collar. When he is done, encourage him by giving him a treat.
- If you found the proof but you didn’t see him doing the act, don’t react in an angry manner by rubbing his nose against his poop. Puppies are not able to connect an accident with your anger.
Therefore, if you’re a new pet-parent, follow all the advice given above in order to potty train your puppy fully. Make sure you have the rewards ready at hand.