One of the most exciting times for a family is the addition of a new puppy. It brings lots of laughter, playful moments, giggles from puppy kisses, (gotta love that puppy breath) and an occasional wet sock from oops... a potty spot.....ugh. To avoid some of the frustration of potty training we have included some tips below.
Before bringing your puppy home here are a few things you should know so that you have realistic expectations for your newest furry family member.
1. Puppies are not physically able to fully control their bladder muscle until they are about 12 weeks old. Thus your puppy will typically need to go out to urinate about six times a day until they are a bit older.
2. A full stomach puts pressure on the colon and bladder, so your puppy should be taken out immediately after each meal. This is a normal time that they will want to relieve some of that pressure. (Be patient with them they may even need to go out a few times after eating.)
3. When your puppy has been in their crate, always carry them from the crate directly outside to their potty area. Do not play around with them at this time it is "business time". Carrying them outside helps avoid an accident while walking to the door and teaches your puppy to potty outside quicker.
Before your puppy is able to control their bladder it is very important that your family has a plan in place for a housebreaking routine. Having a plan in place with everyone on board will help to avoid your puppy pottying all over your house. When your puppy is not in their kennel always be watching for signs that they have to go, such as turning in circles and sniffing. And of course take your puppy outside often. *We encourage you to use a crate and / or confining your puppy to a small part of the house with easy clean up floors when you are unable to supervise them. This helps to ensure that your puppy does not urinate all over your house and cause even more frustration while you are walking through the potty training process.
*House training can become very difficult if your puppy smells urine in your home from previous accidents so preventions of those times helps greatly. Along with making sure to fully clean any accidents that your puppy may have.
Have a Designated Area:
We are pretty certain that each family we meet wants the potty training process to go smooth and quickly. Of course each puppy learns at its our pace, and every situation is a little bit different. One thing that we have found to help greatly is having a special area designated for potty time. Some have chosen their designated area to be a place on the edge of the yard or even in the woods next to the house. Wherever you choose is fine as long as it works best for your situation, and is fairly quickly to get to. One suggest is to avoid being near a road or driveway for safety sake. Also keep in mind with less distractions around you will be able to keep your puppy focused on the task at hand easier. Try not to clean up the designated area too much. A few piles for your puppy to sniff here and there actually helps stimulate them to get down to business! *(Remember you may need to take your puppy there in the dark so that may play into your choice of locations.)
"Business Time"
One of the biggest mistakes is not being patient enough and allowing your puppy to find the right place to "go". A little encouragement like “go potty” is ok, but Do Not rush this time...be patient it will pay off in the end! Remember this is "business time" do not play with your puppy until they have finished. Then give lots of praise such as "good potty" " good potty outside" and of course a good scratch behind the ears!
The Key to Communication with your Puppy
Dogs are pack animals and they want to please the pack leader. So a large key to your house training process is your puppy understanding first, that you are the leader and second, what it is that you are asking of them. The communication process between you and your puppy is vital. It is up to you to make sure they understand what you are expecting.
You see, your puppy does not think the way you do. When you are unhappy with your puppy, it assumes that whatever it is doing at that exact moment is what you are upset about. Here is an example:
Your puppy potties on your floor, and five minutes later you have a wet sock...ugh, and of course you are upset. If you express that displeasure five minutes after the mess is made, your puppy will most likely conclude that the mess on the floor is bad, but not the act of going on the floor. Or even worse may not understand at all why you are upset and ends up confused and afraid of you. So unless, they are caught in the process of creating or just finishing the mess, they do not connect the act to the mess, thus the two are unrelated in their mind. So your puppy mistakenly understands the mess upsets you but does not understand that it should stop "making" the mess there. The key is to catch your puppy in the act and help them understand the two are related and that you wish for them to make "the mess" outside. You do not need to physically punish your puppy. Use your tone of voice to express that you are not happy. A firm "No! No potty in the house. or just No! No!" while picking them up and taking them outside to the designated potty area. Once in the potty area in a happier tone say potty outside. Take some time to wait for them to go, if they do, praise them.
Please Note:
It is VERY important to ALWAYS praise your puppy after they potty in their designated area. We suggest using the phrase "good potty" and or "good potty outside" * Note that a high pitch tone shows approval, while a low pitch tone shows displeasure,. Example... a growl sound is a low pitch tone and it is how they communicate dog to dog that they are NOT happy with the current situation.
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