As with children, it’s a good thing puppies are so adorable. It’s hard to be angry when they urinate on the floor for the thousandth time! But because you also care about your carpets, you might feel anxious to hurry up and get your puppy trained. These tips can help make the process a bit more smooth.
Keep a regular schedule. Your puppy needs to know when he gets to go out next. Otherwise, the training feels chaotic and confusing for him. Do your best to be on time for walks; if you’re even a few minutes late, your puppy might feel confused and have an accident.
Every month that a puppy matures they on average are able to hold their bladder 1 hour. For example, a 2 month old puppy can hold their urine for 2 hours.
Keep your puppy on a leash. This allows you to keep a close eye on them, and know right away when they need to go outside. It also gets them used to walking on a leash.
Use rewards. Some puppies are thrilled with praise and extra petting, while others respond better to treats. Figure out which seems most motivating, or use both, but make sure to be consistent! A puppy who doesn’t receive the expected reward will be a confused puppy.
Keep everything you need by the door. Your shoes, leash, poop bags, and treats should be ready to go, so that unnecessary delays don’t interfere with your pup’s need to go to the bathroom.
Don’t become over-reliant on puppy pads if you don’t want to use them long term. Some puppies will really “imprint” on these pads, even preferring them to the outdoors, and their owners end up having to use them forever. Use them only when absolutely necessary, so that the pads don’t become a preferred place to use the bathroom.
Keep their environment small. Dogs don’t like to use the bathroom where they eat and sleep, so keep your puppy in a smaller environment when you can. For some this means crate training, while others train well enough in a small room. Doing this will also reduce the number of hidden “surprises” left throughout your home during the training phase.
Make an appointment with us. We should give your new puppy a checkup anyway, along with routine preventive care. At our appointment we can discuss potty training in more detail, and help you troubleshoot any problems you might be having.