One of the first things that new puppy owners want to accomplish is potty training. Potty training puppies isn’t as difficult as you may believe. With the right tools, patience and consistency, you can have your puppy house trained in as little as a month.
Learn How to Potty Train a Puppy
- Buy the Right Supplies You need an arsenal of great pet supplies before you start puppy training. To properly potty train puppies, you need a collar, a leash, a crate, and an enzymatic cleaner.
- Timing When learning how to potty train a puppy, you first need to understand how often a puppy needs to go. The average puppy will need to go outside about 10 minutes after it eats or drinks, immediately after waking up or playing, and immediately after being greeted. Additionally, your dog should be taken outside every two hours.
- The Process Take your puppy outside on a leash. Walk to the spot in the yard where you want your puppy to toilet and use the words “ go potty ”. When your dog urinates or defecates, praise it wildly, give it a healthy treat, and walk back in the house. If your puppy doesn’t go after 10 minutes, walk back in the house, put the puppy in its crate, wait five minutes, and try again. Puppies should get no freedom in the house until it has toileted outside.
- Tips and Tricks of Potty Training a Puppy Never yell at or discipline your puppy for toileting in the house. You have a two-second window for correction or praise. When you find a soiled area, your dog has already forgotten what it has done. Clean it up with an enzymatic cleaner and go about your day.
Play time and potty time should always be separated from one another. This helps puppies learn that it is supposed to toilet outside right away. When it’s potty time, your puppy should be walked outside on a lead. Play time doesn’t require a leash unless your yard is not fenced in. Separate potty time and play time by 10 minutes.
Skip the puppy pads. Puppy pads are a detriment when learning how to potty train. These pads only serve to confuse your puppy, telling it it’s okay to toilet in the house. Potty training a puppy is not difficult. If you develop a schedule and use the right set of tools, your puppy will be trained faster than you think. Follow the tips above and your puppy will be accident-free in just a few weeks. To ensure one’s dog is getting enough exercise you can make a trip to a dog park. These dog parks are great to exercise dogs and for socialization. Also added a cat to your household? Go here to learn how to litter train a kitten.