Puppy Potty Training
Potty training is easy if you follow certain rules.
Just as us humans, dogs have a schedule to be followed.
He should be given the opportunity to go potty:
1) When he wakes up
2) Shortly after eating
3) When he had been crated for some time and is getting restless
4) Before he is going to be crated for a while
A major rule is:
Do Not leave your puppy roaming around the house unobserved, especially the first day! Leash him. So you can take action once you recognize first signs of him/ her preparing to go potty. You should lead him outside immediately. If you have an area of preference you would like him/her to relief at, take him to that area and wait.
The first potty experience will set the train on the track.
We have had numerous dogs that came to us for training, going through the process.
Walking down the street as signs of needing to go potty were recognized. Once he went potty in a certain area, all we needed to do was taking him back to the same area, and he would relief.
Some dog owners prepare a certain area in their yard that they wish their dog to go to. They mark off a corner by putting different surface out, such as sand or gravel. The rest of the yard might be turf or grass that they don’t wish the dog to go potty on.
Think about this process….what would happen if his first relief is happening on the rug inside the house??????
Exactly, it will identify the rug as the spot to go to, once he went on that spot.
Once that experience has been made, any anti dog odor spray will not help. He has found the bathroom spot!
The effort being put forth in the first few days- will pay off for life!
Once you take him out to go potty, make sure he is NOT busy playing with the toy or another dog.
He might be so busy that he does not think about eliminating himself outside. He will then eliminate inside the house once playtime is over!
It would make a lot of sense anyways if there is playtime AFTER he went potty.
Do NOT make the mistake and praise your puppy while he is going to the bathroom. You might make a connection that praise has something to do with going “potty” and soon he will eliminate himself when you praise him. The best thing to do is to say “potty” while he is going, or once you can predict that he will go. Signals are learned before the behavior is predictably happening, or during the behavior itself. That explains clearly why you should NOT praise him during the act.
It is common of course to let him out of the crate if you witness him having an accident in it. Warning! On rare occasion we have seen dogs purposely eliminating in the crate in order to be let out to freedom!
It is recommended to have a grid insert floor that fits your crate perfectly to prevent him from having to sit in a mess. Be advised never to leave a collar of any kind on him while crated. Especially with the grid floor, he could hang himself with the collar getting caught in it.