Puppies are on people’s favorite things list, as well they should be. After the initial excitement of the newcomer gradually mellows, it’s time to take on the not as adorable but very essential task of puppy potty training.
Potty training is the beginning of an awesome adventure you can have with your new dog (that’s how I convince myself). Sure it can be a little unappealing at times but it’s a chore much needed for the rest of his life. Here are several puppy training tips to get you started on the right track.
Understand that puppies have yet to fully develop their bodies. This means that you need to closely watch when you feed and water them. Meals should not come right before bedtime or expect to rise up every so often to take your dog out to eliminate. In the beginning, you will have to wake up a couple of times at night to cater to his toilet needs. As he matures and you train him successfully, he will not need to go late at night anymore. For now though, setting good habits early is the most important thing.
Have a schedule for their meal times daily and do not vary from it as much as possible. His body needs to be accustomed to a certain pattern of eating and eliminating. Take him outdoors to discharge early in the morning and late at night. After meals, bring him to his designated potty place to do his business. Keep repeating a phrase the puppy will associate with toilet activities like ‘go potty’ until he does.
Immediately after successfully eliminating, reward the puppy with enthusiastic accolades and a treat. Play with him for a few minutes before walking back indoors. The puppy should realize that ‘going potty’ at that particular spot was a pleasant and satisfying experience for him. After an hour go back to the spot and wait to see if he wants to do it a second time. Establishing good habits is the most important thing in puppy potty training.
Now it’s time to teach him how to request to go outside for toilet. Sounds difficult? It’s not as hard as you think. Fasten a bell at the end of a rope and tie to the door. When you go out for your special walks, give the bell a little nudge and say ‘go potty’ clearly so the puppy will hear. Do this for two weeks. After that time, say ‘go potty’ when you reach the door but don’t do anything. Wait for the dog to touch the bell from habit which he will with patient practice. When he does, reward him with plenty of praise and open the door.
Do this repeatedly every time the puppy takes his potty break. He will catch on after a while and when he does, be sure to reward him with lots of attention for correctly doing what you want him to do. Soon, your dog will understand and learn to shake the bell or scratch the door when he needs to go to the toilet.
That’s all there is to it. Properly and consistently done, these puppy training tips should have successfully gotten your dog potty trained easily. Now you can go on to your next, hopefully less smelly adventure!
