If you are a puppy parent, then you know that potty training your puppy can be a challenge. Often it seems as though the second you turn your back; they squat down even though you took them out just a minute ago. In this blog post, we will discuss some tips for potty training your puppy. We hope that this information will help make the process much smoother for you and your furry friend.

2 Simple Rules for Housetraining a Puppy

Rule #1: Don’t leave your puppy unsupervised. 

Rule #2: Reward your puppy for going outdoors, every single time. 

One of the most common mistakes that pet owners make is giving their puppy too much unearned freedom.  So, if you can’t devote all your attention to your puppy, contain them in an enclosure to keep them safe and out of mischief. 

While it’s very exciting to see your puppy get it right you do not want to interrupt them while they are doing their business.  Wait until your puppy is finished before delivering the treat. Some very smart and observant puppies will be watching for you to reach for the treat and when you do so, they stop what they are doing to get that reward. Half empty tanks lead to mistakes indoors; remember to not jump the gun with that reward.

Essential Housetraining Supplies

When potty training accidents strike, be prepared with an enzymatic cleaner.  Enzymatic cleaners are safe to use on carpets, tiles, and wood flooring, and don’t contain any harmful chemicals because they are non-toxic.   Unlike a household cleaner containing ammonia (a concentrate in urine), an enzymatic cleaner will neutralize odor, keeping your puppy from repeating the mistake on or around the same spot.  Avoid cleaning up potty accidents with bleach is due to the potential for a toxic reaction.

When you are unable to supervise your puppy, (remember, rule #1) place them in an enclosed puppy safe area.  Place a washable and reusable puppy pad to put inside your puppy’s enclosure.  Do not make mistakenly purchase a disposable pee pad instead of a reusable pee pad with. Disposable pee pads contain attractants like ammonia and pheromones which draws the puppy to the surface encouraging them to pee in the designated spot.  If your goal is to have a dog that relieves themselves outside, save your money and skip disposable pee pads.

Tips for Successfully Potty Training Your Puppy

A general rule of thumb when it comes to routine potty breaks is your puppy can only hold it for 1 hour longer than they are months old.  If your puppy has 4 months, they should be going out every 5 hours.  Other situations and signals that your puppy needs be taken out:

🐾 If they just woke up

🐾 After a vigorous play session

🐾 When they start spinning around in a circle

🐾 After coming out of their crate

🐾 When you see them sniffing the floor

🐾 If they sit and stare at you for no reason   

When it’s time to take your puppy out for a potty break and they don’t go after 5 minutes, bring your puppy back inside.  After another 5-10 minutes passes you need to bring your puppy outside again. 

Many people get caught up in their work and will forget to take their puppy out according to the schedule.  If you are one of these people, then set an alarm to remind you to take your puppy out. 

It is not recommended that you restrict your puppy’s access to water during the potty training phase.  Doing so can make your puppy water obsessed because they view it a sparse resource. 

What To Do When Your Puppy Has an Accident

It’s important to avoid correcting your puppy when they have an accident in the house. Forget whatever you heard or learned about shoving their noses in the mess or hitting your puppy to teach them a lesson. Advice like that is wrong and has negative consequences for the relationship you are building with your puppy. As tempting as it may be to yell your frustrations out loud, your puppy won’t connect your emotional response with the potty accident. If you still need to vent, call a human, or text us.

When accidents occur, all you’ll need to do is clean up the area with an enzymatic cleaner, then ask yourself why the accident happened. When was the last time you let the puppy outside? Where were you when the puppy had their accident?  (Rule #1)

Should you catch your puppy attempting to make inside your home, simply interrupt your puppy, scoop them out or clap your hands to get them to follow you outside.  When your puppy finishes their business outside, be sure to reward them. (Rule #2)

How to Deal with Potty Training Setbacks

Many pet owners are too focused on potty training failures.  Flip the script and focus on potty training successes.  For a minimum of 3 weeks, more if you are frustrated, keep track of the number of successfully trips outside versus the number of misses. How do the percentages compare? Surely, you will feel better about a 85% success rates, than 8 accidents this week!

Don’t compare your puppy’s lack of success with potty training to another puppy’s success. Each puppy is an individual and mastery of potty training happens at a different speed.  A fully house-trained 5-month-old puppy is no smarter than the puppy that didn’t get it until 9 months.  (My very own Canine Good Citizen took almost a year!)

Happy Potty Training

So, there you have it – our two simple rules for housetraining a puppy and tips to get you started. Remember, success takes patience and consistency, so be prepared for setbacks along the way. But with a little bit of effort on your part, your pup will be successfully potty trained in no time!

And don’t forget – we’re always here to help if you run into any trouble. Prevent bad behaviors from happening in the first place by hiring us to help train your puppy. We guarantee that they will learn all the basics (and more!) in a fraction of the time it would take you alone. Thanks for reading and happy housebreaking!

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