The Basics of Puppy Training: Potty Training

Congratulations on your new puppy! I’m sure you’ve thought of everything you need to raise a well-mannered young dog, but it can be quite intimidating and definitely overwhelming! Whether this is your first rodeo or you just need to brush up on some of the basics, here’s everything K9SavvyGirl knows about Potty training Puppies brought to you by a fan question!

1. Timing The first thing you need to know in order to be successful in potty training a puppy is when to take them outside to go potty! The following times are recommended for puppies 6wks old to 4 months old:

a. After Food b. After Water c. After Play d. After a Nap e. Every 30min. if none of the above applies. Sounds like a whole lot of times right?! Who said this was going to be easy? Not me! The reason you take a puppy out after these activities is simple. After food/water, they will need to use the bathroom because they’ve just added more to their load. After play because they get really excited and that could cause them to have to use the bathroom. After a nap because they’ve been holding it during the nap and now their body is awakened. And every 30 minutes because that is about how long they can hold themselves since they are still so young. After your puppy is older than 4 months you can remove the 30 minute rule and switch to every hour, increasing the time as he progresses and matures. The other rules apply until he is approximately 1 year of age again depending on the dog and how his training has progressed. 2. Signs to Look For If your puppy starts sniffing the ground vigorously, turning in circles, or runs off into another room all of a sudden.. BEWARE! You’re about to have to break out the paper towels and distilled white vinegar! These are all signs that your pup is about to use the bathroom inside! If you catch him doing any of these behaviors, immediately pick him up and take him outside! If he’s already started going to the bathroom, you’re a bit too late. And you should read on to how to reprimand down below. BUT FAIR WARNING: If you are not keeping all eyes on your puppy at all times it is YOUR fault your puppy had an accident. He’s just doing what’s natural, so keep that in mind when you feel yourself getting angry/frustrated. 3. The Routine It's time to take your puppy outside to see if he has to go to the bathroom. The following routine is what K9SavvyGirl recommends but of course you can improvise:

a. Say “Time to go outside and go potty!”. Put a 4ft-6ft leash on your puppy and take him to “the spot”. Yes, it’s true, to maximize training you should definitely take your puppy out ON LEASH to the SAME SPOT every time. A retractable leash is not recommended because you want to be close to your puppy to give praise immediately after he “goes”.

b. DO NOT SAY GO POTTY! This is a huge mistake most people make. While the puppy is sniffing around or biting the leash, they tell the puppy “Go potty!” “Go potty boy!” and this is falling on deaf ears! Doing this is going to have your puppy learn that this “go potty” thing you say happens all the time, and that he should ignore it. This also doesn’t let him know what “go potty” actually means. So, you sit and wait quietly to see if he goes.

c. Immediately once your dog squats to use the bathroom, say in the nicest voice possible (not too loud though to scare him) “go potty! Good boy! Such a good Potty Outside!” and once he is done immediately praise him! I do not recommend treats as one, this will make your dog overly reliant on treats in future training and two, he may get distracted by the smell of the treats and not want to go to the bathroom (third is of course overfeeding which makes more waste and more susceptibility to unnecessary weight gain). I’ve seen many people wait until they bring the dog inside to give them a treat, and this does nothing but tell the dog that when he comes inside he gets a treat. This will also confuse him as to what he should do when you take him outside and he will probably just sit at the door or pull towards the door to hurry up and get inside to get his treat! So use your best high pitched voice and a lot of love/physical touch to get your puppy super excited and focused on you! Your love is all he needs as praise.

d. Take your puppy off the leash and have him sniff around (if you are in a safe & fenced in environment). Some puppies don’t want to go to the bathroom outside because once they are done, their owner immediately brings them back inside when they really want to explore! So let your puppy sniff around so he doesn’t associate going potty outside with going right back inside. Even if it’s just for a minute or two. 4. Mistakes If your puppy does make a mess in the house, here is what K9SavvyGirl recommends: If you see your puppy making the mess (caught in the act) immediately say “NO! Bad Boy!” and pick him up and bring him outside. If the mess was number 2, pick it up and bring it outside and place it in front of him so he can smell it and know that it is supposed to be outside. If the mess was number 1, wipe it up with paper towels BEFORE spraying cleaning products and do the same thing. Let your puppy walk around a minute or two to see if he needs to “finish the job”, and if he doesn’t do anything else bring him inside. If you do not catch your puppy in the act and walk in on it somewhere: DO NOT REPRIMAND AT ALL. Your puppy has a very small attention span and short term memory. Bringing him back to the spot and reprimanding him will not accomplish anything and will just make him scared and revert in the training. 5. Secret Tips Some of my secret tips, though some may say they’re extreme, they guarantee NO mess will be made inside the home (sounds nice right?!)

a. Do not let your puppy have full range of the house. Keep him in your sight at all times.

b. Keep him on a leash inside. This is helpful in many ways. The first way is that your puppy is already on the leash so when it’s time to go outside you don’t have to fuss around looking for it. The second way it is helpful is that it makes absolute sure the puppy is in your sight/by your side the entire time. Make sure wherever you are you have something for them to entertain themselves with (toy, bone, etc) so they stay near you and don’t make too much of a fuss. The third way this helps is that they won’t be bothered by a leash in other situations.

c. Pick up water bowl at 5pm. Once your pup has finished his dinner and had a drink, it is safe to remove the water bowl to minimize the need to urinate throughout the night. Offer water again first thing in the morning and try to restrict exercise after 5pm that would make him thirsty to want to drink. If this happens and he starts panting and searching for water, give him a little bit but again pick up the bowl afterwards and remember that what goes in, must come out! Stay tuned for part 2 of this blog all about CRATE TRAINING! If you found this blog helpful make sure to share it with your friends/family and “Like” K9SavvyGirl on Facebook!

WOOF!

#education #advice #k9savvygirl #routine #dog #puppy