Many of us love the idea of a cheerful, playful puppy, but reality often checks in when we’re cleaning up puppy mess. While potty training difficulty differs between dog breeds, there are a few tips that can often be applied to potty training any dog breed.
Probably the most helpful tip to ease both your pup’s stress and your own is to develop a routine early on in your pup’s life. You can start by accustoming your puppy to a sleep/eat/potty routine. Try feeding your puppy around the same time every day, allowing for frequent trips outside to potty. He will soon adjust his body to the routine.
Although some people are adverse to the idea, others find that keeping a pallet of newspaper near an exit (one your puppy will soon associate with the outdoors). Although we do our best, we don’t always pay attention or are in a position to let our dog outside-especially at nighttime. This is a positive alternative for your puppy to use until he develops better bladder control.
Understand that a puppy’s system is like clockwork. When you feed or water him, he will be ready to potty about 15 – 20 minutes later. The key is to make sure your pup has access to the yard (or wherever you’re teaching him to potty) when the time comes. Arranging your puppy’s routine to match your own is the easiest way to expect when he’s hungry or needs to potty.
It’s a good idea to separate play time from potty time very early on. If you’ve taken him out to potty and he goes, take him straight back indoors, wait a bit, and then take him out to play. Allowing him to potty and play in the same time period can send mixed signals as to what he’s supposed to do. You wouldn’t want him waking you up for play time in the wee hours of the morning!
This period in your puppy’s life is a great one to start administering praise and discipline techniques. Many people prefer “good boy/girl” and “no,” which can be still be used when your dog is older. Although puppies need a lot of repetition, routine, and firmness, remember that your puppy will soon grow up, so enjoy his puppyhood while you can!
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