When you get your new puppy, one of the first things you will want to do is housetrain your puppy. The earlier you set up a schedule and get them housebroken, the easier life will be for both of you. Here are some do’s and don’ts to help speed that process along.
Do
1. Set a schedule (and keep it !) Because your puppy’s bladder is tiny, they will need frequent breaks outside. Start with every 2 hours and increase that time slowly. Smaller breed dogs, like Yorkshire terriers, will need even shorter intervals. A general guideline is the age of the pup + 1 month – that is the maximum length of time between potty breaks. That means a five month old puppy should be able to hold her bladder for a maximum of six hours. This only applies once the puppy is trained, and understands that they need to go outside to potty.
2. Tiny dogs, tiny bladders. Toy sized dogs might never be able to hold their bladders longer than five or six hours.
3. There are other times that you’ll want to take your puppy out for a potty break right away. Key times include after meals, after play, and when they first wake up.
4. Until your puppy is fully trained, you’ll need to go outside with your puppy. When they are going potty, say the cue “potty” and reward them right away. While praise is nice, using treats will speed the process along. If your pup learns that she can trade her pee in for a piece of chicken, she’ll catch on to house training in no time.
5. If your puppy doesn’t go to the bathroom after a few minutes, go back inside and return your puppy to her confinement area. Try again in 20 to 30 minutes.
6. Get to know your pup’s “warning signs” and take her outside when she needs to go. Some dogs whine, some start moving with purpose, looking for the best place to go. Some puppies, once they catch onto the idea of going outside to potty, may actually come to you to be taken out. Don’t ignore those signals ! One idea is to tether the dog to you with a leash. That way you’ll be more likely to see these early warning signs.
7. Withhold food and water at least 1 hour before bedtime. That will minimize the need to go potty during the night.
8. If there is an accident, no worries –they call them accidents for a reason. Your dog is not doing this on purpose. Clean the area thoroughly, using an enzymatic cleaner like Nature’s Miracle to get rid of the smell.
9. Consider using a crate overnight or when you are away. Most dogs try not to soil the area they sleep in.
Don’t
1. Housetraining a puppy can be a frustrating experience. I get it. But please don’t yell or punish your dog. It is actually counterproductive and will make housetraining harder for you both. Punishment will make your pup scared of you, and will teach your puppy that peeing in front of you is a dangerous action that should be avoided. They will then pee behind the sofa. It really doesn’t help housetrain them faster.
2. Don’t make potty the last part of the trip. If you end the trip outside as soon as they pee, they will delay and hold it as long as possible.
3. Don’t extend time between potty breaks too quickly. If puppy starts soiling in house again, move back to a shorter interval.
4. Please don’t let your puppy outside off leash in unfenced area. It would be heartbreaking if they were to run away. Take them outside on a leash, and supervise them.
Bonus: Train your dog to ring bells to go outside
1. Train your dog to touch your hand with their nose.
2. Place the bells on the door. Small dogs will need longer bells closer to the ground.
3. Place your hand behind the bells and ask the dog to touch your hand.
4. Say “Ring” and reward them whenever they accidently cause the bells to ring.
5. Eventually, you will be able to remove your hand and the dog will still touch the bells whenever you say “Ring”
6. From then on, ask the dog to “ring” the bells before going outside to potty. They will catch on fast and start ringing the bells whenever they want to go out.
7. For this to work, you must honor the contract. Every time they ring the bells, you must get up and let them out to potty. In order to prevent “ringing the bells because I want to sniff the grass” syndrome, let them out for only a few minutes. If they haven’t gone potty, bring them back inside.
Report back and let me know how it goes ! Bonus points for posting video on my Facebook page (PlayNTrain K9).
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