Potty Training Your Puppy

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Consistency, attentiveness and patience are the keys to a successful potty training for your puppy. It is also good to understand puppy growth first, Dogs don’t have full bladder capacity until they are approximately 12 months of age. According to research the ideal time to start potty training your puppies is between 12 and 16 weeks since at this age they have enough bladder and bowel control. Majority of the time, the older the dog the longer it might take to potty train. The steps to learning are still the same for the dog and the puppy. The training environment significantly influences your puppy’s learning process. A nurturing and non-intimidating atmosphere fosters quicker learning, as fear can impede progress. Cultivating a strong bond between you and your puppy is equally crucial for successful training outcomes.

The prerequisite of potty training

Establish a consistent designated toilet area for your puppy. Avoid frequent changes to the toilet location during training, as this could lead to confusion for the puppy.

Choose a specific sound or word command. Every time you take your puppy outside to their area, use the word “go,” or pick another command. This will teach it to go in that specific location whenever they hear the command or sound.

Familiarize yourself with your puppy’s breed-specific behaviours and requirements. Take the time to research your dog’s breed characteristics, unique needs, and any specific behaviors to watch for. For instance, if you have a tiny Chihuahua, be mindful that their bladder is exceptionally small, necessitating more frequent bathroom breaks. Despite proper training, accidents may occur due to their physiological limitations.

As soon as you bring your puppy home, start by potty training him, take him outside specifically where you want him to potty train, allow him to sniff around and familiarize himself with the surroundings, some prefer to put their puppies on a leash to avoid them from wandering off since puppies are easily distracted while others especially where the homestead is not so big or rather its enclosed they don’t leash their puppies.

For a successful potty training one should ensure the puppy has a balanced diet/puppy food, consistent in meals in terms of the time your puppy takes his meals, planned potty breaks, teach your puppy when to expect potty breaks.

Ensure you establish a consistent routine for your puppy to make it predictable to him when he should go potty, make it a habit to reward your puppy during the potty training period either by praise or treats as this will make him/her learn they are doing a good job, below are some of the time slots one can take into consideration when creating a schedule for your puppy;

1. After meals or drinking water.
2. As soon as he wakes up in the morning.
3. After waking up from naps.
4. After playtime or exercise
5. After spending time in his crate.

Remember to also create a routine based on the puppy capability, they can control their bladder one hour for every month of age. So if your puppy is 2 months old, they can hold it for about two hours. Don’t go longer than this between bathroom breaks or they’re likely to have an accident

One should also be attentive with their puppy for cues that he needs to go outside to help minimize chances of accidents in the house, incase one is busy and can’t offer supervision, the puppy can be confined in his crate or a small enclosed space, every puppy gives or shows different signals when they have to go potty hence one should be observant and learn his/her puppies behaviors for a smooth potty training.

Signs that your puppy may show when they want to go;

1. Start whining or barking.
2. Sniffing around while circling the room or his crate.
3. Scratching the door.
4. Squatting.

During the potty training period puppies might make mistakes like easing themselves in their crate or in the house, one shouldn’t start shouting or disciplining them by hitting them rather pick them up and take them out fast or point at the door to show them they should be doing that outside the house. Rather than punishing them ensure you have cleaned the soiled area thoroughly.Puppies are highly motivated to continue soiling in areas that smell like urine or feces. To note refrain from allowing your puppy to observe you cleaning up indoor accidents, as this may inadvertently reinforce the behavior by associating it with your attention.

Prerequisite during the night

Avoid feeding your puppy too late in the evening to prevent overnight bathroom breaks.

Ensure they have access to water, as a puppy with constant access is less likely to drink excessively before bed.

Engage them in gentle play about an hour before bedtime to stimulate digestion and encourage toileting.

Let them wind down before bedtime, then quietly place them in their crate or playpen. Some puppies prefer a night light, while others settle better in the dark, so experiment.

While it may take time for them to settle, resist playing with them if they wake up, as this may reinforce the behaviour.

Expect to get up at least once during the night, especially for toy breeds with smaller bladders.

To prevent accidents, take your puppy to their toilet area without interaction, reward them for going, and return to bed promptly.

Upon waking in the morning, prioritize taking them out to the toilet immediately.

Toilet Training Steps

1. Take them frequently to the designated toilet area; you could start with every 20–30 minutes but if they are older the intervals could be wider.
2. When you take them to the designated area, use the word or sound designated for the puppy to eliminated, could be ‘toilet’ depends on what you prefer.
3. Go with the puppy outside. They might be confused as to what you would like them to do.
4. Do not interrupt then when eliminating, be patient and quiet. As many dogs tend to see this sacred
5. Upon completion reward the dog with treats or a play.
6. Repeat this and be consistent. This way the dog will learn the pattern and without your presence he or she will take herself to the toilet area.

Potty training regression

This could occur if:

1. You’re waiting too long to take them out for potty breaks.
2. You’re not paying attention to the signs that they need to go
3. They’re having emotional problems, such as stress and anxiety from a change in their environment
4. They may be sick to their stomach, have an infection, such as a urinary tract infection (UTI), or, if they are older, canine cognitive decline (doggie dementia)

Be vigilant in addressing this issue, as it may require a visit to the vet clinic or investigation into and adjustment of potential underlying causes of emotional distress.

Potty training takes time, it may take several months before your puppy can be fully potty trained, puppy owners should practice patience ,attentiveness and consistency for success.