Bringing home a new puppy is one of the best things ever. Everyone is excited, cooing and crowding around the little fur ball. Then the romance begins to die down after a few weeks, people start getting busy again. You’ve guessed correctly, it’s time for puppy potty training to commence
If you’re a new dog owner, potty training will launch you into the unfamiliar and often rewarding terrain of canine training. You may not like parts of it, but generally it’s a pretty exciting journey. Read on to get great puppy training tips anyone can use.
Understand that the young puppy has limitations that are not his fault. One of them is the inability of controlling bodily wastes well for long periods of time. There will be a couple of nights wherein you will need to wake up twice to bring him out to his toilet spot. This may be a little irritating but do not rush the puppy to go when he is not ready yet. What is important is setting of good habits he will carry as he grows older.
Have a schedule for the pup’s feeding and drinking times each day. Keep this routine consistently so his body is trained to retain the particular time he needs to eliminate. You can take the dog out to do his toilet duties early in the morning and late at night. Take the puppy out to his designated spot and repeat a phrase you want him to associate with potty like go potty. Maybe it’s not that creative, but it gets the job done.
After he finishes eliminating on the right spot and with the right phrase, lavish him with praise. Let the puppy know how pleased you are and that he is the best dog in the whole world. Do the same thing again in an hour just in case another round is in order. Remember, right now the most important aspect of puppy potty training is the establishing of good habits.
After setting a pattern of toilet practices he is learning to follow, you can now teach him how to ask to go outside. No, not audibly with words but with a bell. Tie a rope by the door with a bell dangling at the end of it. Give the bell a light push and say ‘go potty’ loudly for the puppy to hear on your way out for your special walks. After two weeks of doing this consistently, say ‘go potty’ by the door but don’t do anything. If all goes well the dog will nudge the bell himself and when he does, be sure to praise him well. If he doesn’t understand fully yet, gently guide him to move the bell and say ‘go potty’.
Repeat this process every single time the puppy uses his toilet privileges. Your dog will catch on and understand this as his signal to want to go out. Before long, he will know enough to tap the bell or door by himself whenever he needs to unload.
That wasn’t too hard was it? When done correctly and consistently, these puppy training tips should have a well-mannered dog to show for itself. Now on to the next puppy adventure!
