Dog
A Quick Guide to Toilet Training Your Puppy
Toilet Training your puppy is one of the first things you want to do once you welcome them into your new home, and it should be relatively simple if you follow our steps correctly. The trick is to keep the same routine and the process of going to the toilet properly will come with ease to them.
Anticipate When They Need To Go
Puppies are usually very predictable, and you can anticipate when they’ll next need the toilet. It’s good to keep a record of their usual schedule as to predict when they will next need to go.- After waking up – Puppies usually need to urinate first thing after waking up, so be sure to take them outside as soon as possible.
- After eating – Eating food also stimulates their digestive system and usually they’ll need to urinate within around fifteen minutes of eating and defecating in thirty minutes.
- Every hour or two – They usually have very bad bladder control, and so will need urinate once every couple of hours.
- When excited – They can also urinate randomly when they’re excited, so try to take them outside after they’ve been active.
- Read body language – If they are whining, circling, barking, scratching or sniffing it may mean they wish to go the toilet, and you should take them out immediately.
Vocal Cues
Whenever you take your puppy to do their business, be sure to use vocal cues depending on what you intend them to do. For example, ‘poo poo time’ and ‘wee wee time’ or similar cues, so that the dog will get a better grasp of what they’re being asked to do each time. Make sure to reward them when they do go to the toilet in the correct place. If you catch your dog going to the toilet inside, clap your hands quickly and say a firm ‘NO!’, and then take them outside. This will make them associate the bad sound with going to the toilet inside and want to avoid it in the future. You’re only looking to startle them, not scare them.The Potty Zone
You’ll need to pick a designated area where your dog is allowed to go to the toilet, mostly likely in a spot in the garden. Pick a spot that’s not visited by other dogs and is easy to clean up. Your puppy will remember the smell of urine in this spot and associate it as a place to go to the toilet.Things to Avoid
- Overfeeding them.
- Feeding an unstable diet that is wide ranging.
- Feeding at different times, keep it regular.
- Feeding late at night.
- Punishing them for accidents (can make them scared of going to the toilet in front of you).
- Feeding salty foods which can make them drink even more.
- Using ammonia based cleaning products which smells similar to urine to your dog.
- Saying ‘good dog’ etc. during the process of going to the toilet, this makes them think it’s a good idea to do it all the time.
- Not cleaning the accidents up as soon as possible, you need the smell of urine to not attract the dog.
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