When training your puppy to the bathroom, create and adhere to a schedule that works. Take them at least every hour while awake – as often as once every hour should do the trick!
Comfortably take them to an area, wait until they eliminate, then praise and reward them with a treat.
Start the Day Right
Within the first seven days, take your puppy out every hour that they are awake to take them potty in their designated spot. This will get them used to going outdoors for toileting needs while helping establish a schedule for when they should use their potty. When successful pee or poop occurs outside, give plenty of praise (say “good boy! “, throw treats, etc.) as this will encourage future positive behaviors outside and reinforce positive associations such as going potty with outdoor playtime and treats and will hopefully encourage return visits!
Put your puppy on a feeding schedule to help them quickly adapt their toileting habits. Many puppies need to potty shortly after eating, and by taking them out at the same time each day, you can observe patterns in their behavior. Purina recommends keeping a training chart or notebook of when and where your puppy potties – this way, you can determine when their pottying occurs and which areas shouldn’t be off limits while also noting times they likely won’t need to go.
When toilet training a puppy, you must avoid punishing their mistakes. Punishment will only serve to confuse and mislead them further! Instead, if they soil your carpet, gently remove and clean up any affected areas as soon as possible before taking them back to their designated potty spot, and encourage them to use that instead going forward.
When creating an indoor elimination area for your puppy, choose from pet pee pads, old newspapers layered together, or even a sod box as their elimination area. Make sure it smells pleasant so your puppy knows it’s their place for elimination; if an accident happens in the house, use an effective odor remover product like Odor-X to ensure no unpleasant lingering odors remain after cleaning up! Training a puppy might not be easy, but it can be possible with proper planning and guidance!
Take Them Outside Every Hour
If you own a puppy, chances are you know about their constant need to pee and poop. As such, it is vitally important that they get outside as often as possible during peak toileting times for maximum effectiveness.
When your puppy cries out for potty time, quietly take them to their toilet area (or whatever outdoor area has been designated for this task). Once they do so in the right spot, praise and reward them with their favorite treat; this will teach them that going to the bathroom in its proper spot means getting rewarded, increasing its likelihood in the future!
Take your puppy out to their toilet area at least twice every day before and after eating, drinking, playing, and sleeping – preferably before dinner and bedtime, too – this will prevent their bladders from filling up during the night, potentially resulting in indoor pottying incidents.
After each time you take them outside to potty, record whether or not they pooped or peed and when. This will enable you to identify patterns and know when they might require a toilet break – such as when puppies need another opportunity for toilet breaks after eating! For example, many puppies need another chance to potty just after lunchtime when given treats as rewards!
Noting the cue word you use to tell them it’s time for an outing can also be beneficial; make sure everyone in the household uses this same phrase consistently so your puppy understands what it signifies.
Once an accident has occurred in your house, it’s easy to become upset at your puppy for having made such a mess. But remembering their immature digestive systems may only slow down their training process if they try holding off until their next opportunity to go to the toilet.
Be Consistent
To successfully toilet-train your puppy, consistency is key. This means taking them back to their toilet spot regularly throughout the day after waking up, playing, eating, and drinking, as well as after every drink they may consume. As puppies may need to be eliminated multiple times while eating and playing, having a bathroom schedule will allow you to plan when to take them out.
Establish a cue that you can use to remind your puppy when it’s time for toileting, such as a specific word or phrase or whistle/clicker sound. Make sure the whole family uses this cue consistently so it becomes part of their daily routine.
Be sure to reward your puppy when they use the correct bathroom spot, as this will show them they did the right thing and reinforce that behavior. However, when they make mistakes, it’s important not to punish them; punishment could cause confusion and cause future waste-hiding behaviors; instead, calmly bring them back to their bathroom spot and try again; in case of accidents, use an enzymatic cleaner that will both eliminate odors as well as minimize bacteria growth and smells.
While it may appear that you’re constantly carrying and forcing your puppy outside, this shouldn’t be seen as too stressful an experience. Puppies only require close supervision for several days or weeks; soon, you can reduce their toilet trips and accidents on their journey outside.
In the meantime, if you cannot be with your puppy during these crucial hours, investing in a crate or gate may help ensure their safety while giving them access to the outside when ready.
Reward Them
Praise and reward your puppy as soon as they successfully go outside to potty to strengthen the link between going potty outside and positive reinforcement, encouraging repeat behavior. Doing this also keeps their routine consistent – according to Purina, this could include after waking up, before and after eating and drinking, playtime, or after naptime when it’s expected they go outside for toileting.
If your puppy fails to go potty at their predicted times outside, take them back out frequently (every half hour or hour for very young puppies and every couple of hours for older ones) until they successfully eliminate themselves – this way, giving them plenty of opportunities and shortening the wait until their next opportunity comes around.
Puppies have small digestive systems and no bladder control, meaning they will soon need to use the bathroom after eating or drinking something. Scheduling potty breaks and taking your pup outside regularly will help avoid accidents in his crate or playpen and around your house.
When training your puppy to use the toilet, always remain patient and calm with them. Doing this will make your puppy feel at ease and simplify this part of training for both of you. Remember that puppies often go through a developmental stage known as a fear period, which can influence their behavior by making them nervous around new experiences – including toilet training!
At this stage, it is best to leave your puppy with someone you trust, such as a family member or friend, as long periods alone may cause distress for both parties involved. When left alone for too long, puppies start whining or moving restlessly within their crate; needless to say, taking them outside at midnight might become necessary to use the toilet properly!
