Puppy Potty Training
Learn to potty train your puppy with this puppy training exercise taken from the Dog Training Planner.
Puppy potty training problems affect almost every pet parent when a new puppy joins the household. In this article, we provide the steps to effectively potty train your puppy. The most common problem is when the puppy wees indoors on your carpets (or your X box!). There is nothing wrong with your puppy when they do this. Just like a human baby, the puppy needs to be potty trained. Be patient. Be kind.
You will essentially need to become a clairvoyant for a few months and have to feel in your gut, or your bladder, when your puppy is likely to need a wee.
Understanding these 3 main reasons why your puppy is struggling with potty training is crucial…
Reason 1: Unsupervised Puppy
Your puppy will naturally want to relieve his bladder when it starts to feel full. And that, my friend, is much sooner than you expect. So, you have to become observant of the cues your puppy gives when its bladder is ready to unleash the wee.
The problem is that your puppy’s cues will be subtle, and most untrained human eyes will miss the signs (e.g. sniff around in little circles in the same place).
Each puppy is different.
When your puppy wees on your carpet, you’ll only discover his cues if you were observant.
The solution is simple.
Observe.
Observe.
Observe.
Observe your puppy constantly. It will feel like a full-time job because that’s exactly what it is. Having a new puppy entering the household isn’t easy, but the rewards of a loving dog are worth the effect.
Reason 2: Too Much Time In His Crate
Puppies hate wetting their beds because they don’t like sleeping on their own wee. If you leave your puppy in its crate for too long, he/she will naturally relieve itself.
Reason 3: Unrealistic Expectations
Your puppy will not ask you to go outside. He’s a puppy! Does a baby human ask to go to the toilet? Nope. And neither will your puppy. In an ideal world, their cue will be a ‘yelp’ by the door. That’s not going to happen until they are older.
The 6 Potty Training Steps
If you scroll down a bit, you’ll see that I’ve written out all the steps from the video for you. I know. I know. I really am that nice (lol).
Videos are great if you’re a visual learner!
Most people learn dog training drills best by first watching a video tutorial, and then having the written steps available during the training session, so they don’t get confused (Hey, if you want to completely avoid confusion, you might like to get your paws on my Dog Training Planner).
Step 1: Getting Outside
Begin by taking your dog outside. For the first few days, it is best to keep your dog on a lead, this can be removed when your dog has grown in confidence.
Step 2: Choosing A Spot
Lead your dog to a spot where you’d like them to go to the toilet. Make this their designated spot to go to the toilet, this will help with consistency when training.
Step 3: Give the Command
Just as they are about to go to the toilet (as they crouch or raise a leg) give the command, ‘Go Potty’, or you can opt for, ‘Go Wee’, etc).
Step 4: Praise & Reward
Praise your dog if they urinate or defecate, this can be with verbal praise and with treats, but be sure there is lots of it.
Step 5: Go Back Inside
Go back inside and give them free rein in their living area.
Step 6: Supervise & Signals
Supervise your dog and keep an eye out for signals that they need to go to the toilet (e.g. whining, scratching, etc). As soon as you see these signals, take your dog outside to its designated spot.
Final Thoughts
Repeat these steps at regular intervals throughout the day.
Before you go, read on to discover the secret sauce to dog training success...
Loving Leadership
Have a philosophy of loving leadership when training your dog.
As a loving leader, you should be constantly working on the communication pathways with your dog. At the bare minimum, your dog should also have some basic commands such as the lie-down command, sit command, and stay command.
When your dog knows a few basic dog obedience commands he or she will feel loved because they know what you want and have no anxiety or fear about what they should be doing and when.
Once your dog has a few commands under his or her belt (I mean, collar), practice behaviour dog training, command dog training and tricks dog training regularly to ensure your dog is physically and mentally healthy. As you are probably acutely aware, untrained dogs have a way of taking over the control of a home if not taught otherwise (which can be a nightmare). A trained dog, however, will bring years of doggie love to your household.
Pssst. Don't tell anyone, but you can become a loving leader by getting your paws on my Dog Training Planner. You can get my Dog Training Planner for a limited time at a 70% discount.
