Despite their occasional passionate roll in the mud, dogs enjoy being clean and do not like to use their living area as a bathroom. Most dogs will potty train themselves by following their natural instincts. Let’s take a look at some tips for helping your dog with this process.
1. Your Attitude is Key. Make sure you are mentally ready to train a puppy or a dog that is new to your home. They are unaware of what you expect from them until they are taught. Let them know when you are displeased, but always praise them when they do something correctly. Be committed, patient and consistent.
2. Take your new pet to a veterinarian. He will be able to check for physical reasons that might interfere with your dog’s toilet training.
3. Establish Your Puppy’s Living Area. The puppy’s living area should be located in a small space, such as a half-bathroom or a small section of the garage or laundry room. Conduct play times with him in this area and also let him sleep and eat here.
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Make the space complete with a special bed for him. This can be a simple beach towel or a crate purchased from a pet store. It’s possible that the puppy will use this area as a bathroom at first, but once he realizes it is his space, he will do everything he can not to soil it.
Once your puppy becomes accustomed to sleeping in his bed, move it around the house but keep him confined to it. For example, if his bed is a towel, place it next to something to which you can leash your dog so he can’t leave it. A pet crate with a latchable door can greatly simplify this task.
4. Establish the Toilet Area. Consistently, every time your puppy needs to eliminate, make sure he does it in the same place and that he has regular access to the area. In the beginning, go with your puppy each time until he becomes accustomed to the habit. Understand that if he is confined too long, he may soil himself or his bed and it will take longer to toilet train him.
Most puppies need to go first thing in the morning. Place the puppy outside before even greeting him. Once he goes, praise him! If you see your puppy is about to go inside the house, distract him, (which can momentarily stop what is about to happen), and place the puppy outside in his toilet area to finish. Once successfully completed, praise him again!
5. Prepare to Stay on Schedule. Establish a daily feeding schedule for your puppy. This tends to put his elimination times on a somewhat predictable schedule as well. As a puppy, he will need to go outside around every three to four hours, but as your puppy grows and trains, he should be able to control his bladder for up to eight hours.
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