Getting a new puppy is an exciting time. They're cute, playful and so much fun. However, when it comes to potty training puppies most new owners dread the project and don't know where to begin. Here are 4 initial things you need to know for successfully potty training puppies.
1. Make a Schedule
The most important thing you can do when potty training puppies is to set a schedule and, more importantly, stick to it. If you keep track of when your puppy eats, drinks and plays you'll have a good idea about when to take him out. Dogs are creatures of habit so the more regimented the schedule and the more you stick to it, the easier it will be for your puppy to learn what you expect from him. As a rule, you should take your puppy out immediately after eating, playing or sleeping. That's when he'll most likely need to do his business. As you get this routine established, you'll minimize the risk of accidents and increase you're puppy's confidence. Soon he'll be able to go longer before he needs to go out.
2. How Often Does Your Puppy Need to Go Out?
As previously mentioned, when potty training puppies they need to go out immediately after eating, sleeping and playing. Your puppy will also need to go out between those times. Young puppies need to go out at least every hour and a half. Their bladders are still small and can only hold so much. A simple rule to follow is to take your puppy's age in months and add it by one to get an idea how often you need to take him out. For example, if your puppy is 2 months old, add 1 and you get 3. That means you need take him out at least every 3 hours.
This is so important that you may want to take time off from work to be with your puppy while he's potty training. If this isn't possible, ask a reliable neighbor to come in on your puppy's schedule or hire a dog sitter that can take him out while you're away during the day. This may seems like a major project, but the routine is critical to successfully potty training puppies.
3. Establish A Routine for Going Outside
Another very important part of potty training puppies is the routine you establish when you go out side. The first thing you want to do is designate a "potty" area you want your dog to use. Again, dogs are creatures of habit so they'll learn faster if they use the same area. You also want to make sure you take your puppy to that spot and don't leave him on his own to find it. That helps him learn where the area is and you're there to praise him when he's done.
You also want to give your puppy a command that's he'll associate with doing his business. This will serve you well later on since you can give your dog the "potty" command and he'll eventually do his business on cue. When it looks like your puppy is ready to go, give him the command you want to use and don't stop repeating it until he's finished (he may need to go twice to completely empty his bladder). You don't have to be assertive with the command! A quiet, encouraging tone works best. Be sure to reward or praise your puppy as soon as he's done so he knows you're pleased with him and he's done well.
4. Accidents Happen
No matter how diligent you are potty training puppies, there will be accidents since your puppy is still learning. If you catch your puppy in the act, clap your hands or sharply say "no" to distract him. Immediately take him out to the "potty area", let him do his business and then make sure you praise him. The praise is important to reinforce that this is the area where he need to eliminate.
If you don't catch your puppy in the act and find a mess after the fact, do NOT punish your puppy. Under no circumstances should you ever rub his nose in it. This will just confuse your puppy and cause him not to trust you. If your puppy had an accident, you need to clean it up with an enzymatic cleaner and then figure out where you went wrong. After all, you're the teacher and your puppy is just learning, so you need to take responsibility for the accident.
To avoid accidents, pay attention to your puppy to learn the signals he'll use that he needs to go out. He may sniff or scratch at the door, pace or whine. When you learn these behaviors you'll be more likely to anticipate an accident before it happens.
Potty training puppies isn't that difficult if you keep these principles in mind. As you can see above, routines are going to be very important to your puppy's success. It will also make your life easier since you'll know when your dog needs to go out.
If you found the information in this article useful and would like more tips, click here to learn more about potty training puppies. |
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment