Welcome to my blog about Potty Training Puppies. This is one of the first tasks to tackle when you bring home your new pet. And, it’s one of the most important. Proper training right from the start will make it easier for you and your new best friend.

We’ve had two dogs from puppies. A Golden Retriever named Pirate who lived until he was 16 and a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier named Una (rhymes with tuna and means ‘unity’ and ‘little lamb’ in Gaelic). Both were crate-trained with great succes.

However, crate-training isn’t the only way to go. As you’ll discover in the various articles and videos on this page, there are a number of methods. The common thread is the use of consistency and patience. Read and view to discover the method that’s right for you.

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There is so much to enjoy about owning a young puppy. They’re warm and cuddly, and they make us laugh as they tumble and stumble through their day.

They do, however, have one behavior that we’re not impressed with at all, and that is chewing. I know I was horrified when my pup ate the buckle on my expensive new pair of sandals! This same puppy also had a penchant for selectively chewing the eyes off teddy bears.

Puppies chew. They use their mouth to explore the world around them, and unfortunately, their curiosity often extends to your shoes. They usually chew most when they’re around 4-6 months, when they are teething. Just like human babies, chewing can soothe their sore gums.

Puppies are also like young children in that if they have nothing to do, they can get up to mischief. Puppy mischief usually includes chewing, but can extend to digging holes and destroying your garden.

If your puppy chews your property, he’s not being naughty. Chewing is a normal behavior for pups, but it’s a behavior we want to put a stop to. It’s not just because we don’t want our things destroyed, but it can be a safety issue. If your pup chews and swallows the wrong thing, he can end up with an intestinal obstruction!

Fortunately, if you put the effort in to training them, most puppies can be taught not to chew.

The main part of stopping your pup chewing your shoes is to keep them apart. You’ll basically need to puppy proof each room in your home, and if it’s not possible to do that to any room, keep the door closed. Make sure you don’t leave anything on the floor that your pup may find appealing. My pup did at one stage gnaw on the leg of my timber dining chair, and if your pup has the same tastes, you can purchase liquids that taste bitter specifically to apply to your timber furniture.

If you can’t keep an eye on your pup all the time, it’s a great idea to crate train him. This gives him somewhere safe to rest while he’s unsupervised, and allows you to relax, knowing he’s not eating something he shouldn’t be.

Another important part of preventing that destructive puppy chewing is to give your dog physical and mental exercise. Take him to obedience classes or puppy pre-school, take him for walks so he can explore his neighborhood, and use toys such as Buster Cubes to make him work for his kibble. All of these things will tire him out, and reduce his boredom.

It’s also a good idea to acknowledge that chewing is quite normal for puppies, and give him something he is actually allowed to chew. Beef hide is great, as is a stuffed Kong. These will keep his chewing muscles occupied, and reduce the chance of him exercising them on something inappropriate.

There is light at the end of the tunnel. My own pup who had those expensive and destructive chewing habits is now 3 years old, and he is the most wonderful, loyal and well behaved dog. Put the effort in to managing your pup’s chewing behavior and you’ll be reaping the rewards for the rest of your dog’s life.

This guest post is by Dr. Susan Wright, who spends most of her time caring for her own dogs as well as those of her clients. She is the staff veterinarian for Dog Fence DIY.

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There are a lot of different commands you can teach your dog. Some are useful, like “stay”, and some are potentially life saving, like “come”. There are other commands that aren’t as important, but are very convenient. My favorite is to teach my dog to pee when I ask him to.

Why would I want to do that? I used to compete in obedience and agility competitions, and if my dog urinated in the ring, we were heavily penalized. I taught my dog to urinate on command, and before we went in the competition ring, I’d take him for a walk, ask him to pee, and I’d be confident he’d not cost us points by doing it at the wrong time.

There are some other times it is useful. For example, late at night, when you’re tired, the last thing you want to do is wait for your dog to eventually empty his bladder. If he can pee on command, you’ll be back inside and in your bed very quickly.

You may be visiting your vet, and they may want a urine sample. No problems, take your dog outside, ask him to pee, and come back in with a freshly voided sample for testing. It really is a useful behavior for your dog to learn.

While your dog may not always pee immediately on command, he’ll go to the toilet quicker than if he hadn’t been trained.

You can train your dog to urinate when you ask him to at the same time as you are toilet training him. It’s easier for him to learn at the same time as he learns where his toileting area is when you’re potty training a puppy. However, older dogs are just as capable of learning this command.

Take your dog outside to his toileting area, and as he urinates, give him whatever command you’ve chosen - it could be “toilet” or “pee” or even “tinkle”. It doesn’t matter, as long as you’re consistent, and use the same command every time.

When he urinates, give him lots of praise and cuddles. That way, while he’s learning where he’s allowed to pee, he’s also associating it with your command.

You’ll need to give him this command every time he urinates, and reward him when he gets it right. This means you’ll have to do it while you’re out walking, or at the beach. You may get some odd looks from other people, but don’t let a chance go by to reinforce what your command means.

Unlike “sit” or “drop”, which are very quick to teach using food, training your dog to urinate on command is a slow process. It takes time, repetition and lots of patience, and in some cases, dogs don’t ever “get it”. Dogs are clever though, and in most cases, they eventually learn. When your dog does figure it out. providing he has something in his bladder, he’ll be very willing to do as you ask. Taking him to the toilet last thing at night will be so much more convenient.

This guest post is by Dr. Susan Wright, who spends most of her time caring for her own dogs as well as those of her clients. She is the staff veterinarian for Dog Fence DIY.

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When new puppies arrive the first impulse is to hold them close and enjoy their love and the next impulse, usually as a result of the nature of puppies, is potty training puppies. While already in the mood for this important task it is the best time to start. Going potty outdoors is the usual plan for puppy care. Sometimes, such as in urban areas, people prefer indoor training. Puppy pads or newspaper are the usual method of training. There is still the beckoning and exercise of the great outdoors and this is also a great way to bond with a new puppy. 

It helps to have a designated potty spot for the new puppy. If they want to go elsewhere when outdoors it is great bonding to respect the choice. Once they have their scent in place it is common for the puppy to return to the same location. Potty training for puppies is best done with much praise for the positives and ignoring the negatives. Giving a little treat after desirable behavior is great reinforcement. A pleasant tone of voice and saying the puppy’s name is helpful. Before long they will want that attention and will do all they can to please the friendly person they are bonding with. 

Best times of day to take a puppy outside for bathroom visits are after meals, when waking from a nap, after play time and before bedtime. If there is going to be an extended period of time away from home then it may be best to cover the desired area with newspaper or puppy pads. Put up a baby gate so they will not go into carpeted and non designated areas. Potty training for puppies needs to be consistent as possible. If they start sniffing around take that as a sign that they are getting ready to go. Pick them up and take them outside or to the paper training location. 

Rubbing puppies noses in mess is not going to solve the problem nor is yelling. Redirecting and a simple “no” are all that are needed. Too much noisy reaction can make puppies timid about going in the presence of their owners. Positive reinforcement works best for Potty Training Puppies. Once they know they are going to get praise and a little treat they will be content. With time and patience a trained puppy will be the result.

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Let’s face it, as a new dog owner you probably have not taken a canine training class or have studied up on the latest puppy training techniques that are available.

That’s okay! New puppy owners should not have to go to such lengths just to teach their pups the basics. But like all territories unknown, it is quite easy for novice puppy owners to find lots of ways to mess up simple puppy training, especially when it comes to the process of housetraining.

But you do not have to be one of these novices. To help guide your way towards proper housetraining with your new puppy, below are a few common mistakes that many people make, those of which you should aim to prevent:

1. Irregular schedule:
Dogs thrive on repetitiveness and a routine schedule. If you fail to follow a schedule when it comes to taking your puppy to go to the bathroom, feeding times, and even bedtime, this can cause a disruption in the learning process.

For example, let’s say it’s Sunday morning and even though your puppy is waiting for you at the door to go to the bathroom at 7:00 AM (his usual morning potty time), and you feel like sleeping in, do not be surprised if you wake up to a puddle of pee or a stinky pile of poop on the kitchen floor. Adhering to a schedule is absolutely critical to successfully housetrain your puppy.

2. Ignoring crate training: Crate training is a safe and effective way to housetrain any puppy. Not only does it work well, but it is not the cruel training protocol that many people think it is. Placing your puppy in a crate when you are not able to watch over him will help your dog to develop control over its bladder.

3. Disciplining your puppy after the dirty deed has been done: In other words, if you continually yell and discipline your puppy after he has made a mistake, while not actually in the moment of the act, he will not have the slightest clue as to why he is being punished. This type of harassment will only cause your puppy to be scared of you. Only correct him when you catch him doing something wrong, never after.

4. Not cleaning up accidents when the happen: I realize that it may get a little tiring when you constantly have to clean up your new puppy’s poop and pee, but it’s an unfortunate part of the deal you made when you decided to bring home a new dog, especially a brand-new puppy.

Do not make the mistake of getting lazy and leaving his wastes to sit on the floor for any length of time. This can signal to your dog that it is okay to use the bathroom on the floor and he will continue to do so, typically in the same spot.

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Housetraining a puppy seems to be the most common nemesis of all dog owners. Left unsupervised, a puppy can spend months in a home without catching the slightest hint of what housetraining is all about.  And if over-supervised and harassed, he may become neurotic and overanxious.

A happy medium does exist, of course, but many pet owners seem unwilling or unable to make the necessary commitments to the tried and true methods established by professional dog trainers. In the long run, a few weeks of effort will result in a truly housetrained pup, with a minimum of effort and strain on both you and your pet.

Housetraining Rule Number 1: Confinement

There are several important factors to consider in housetraining.  The first of these factors is confinement in a relatively small area that has an easy-to-clean floor and is not isolated from the rest of the family (using a playpen is perfect). Far from being cruel as most dog owners complain, confinement reassures the young puppy and allows him to become completely familiar with the surroundings without being overwhelmed with the size or complexity of your entire home.

Confinement keeps little paws and playful teeth out of range of dangerous places, while ensuring that your dog is close to his papers, or the door to the yard, whenever the urge to use the bathroom comes over him. This means he is more likely to behave correctly than to have an accident, which results in lots of praise and affection from you.

Praise

And that is the second important factor in housetraining: praise. Your praise and approval are more important to your puppy than practically anything else in his life. A mere scowl out of anger can start him sulking in sadness while a pat on the head or a few kind words will set his tail wagging and put a big smile on his little face. Young puppies respond much more quickly and effectively to praise and encouragement than they do the physical correction. Therefore, we believe that there is no place for physical punishment for any puppy.

Consistency

Consistency is the third vital factor in housetraining. Consistency in schedule, in feeding habits, in praise and reward for proper behavior and in verbal reprimand when accidents occur, is of supreme importance. 

Scolding occasionally for accidents but ignoring others, feeding at irregular intervals, lack of praise for soiling on the dog’s papers or in the yard – all will only serve to confuse and discourage your puppy. So be consistent and have total awareness: your awareness of your puppy’s whereabouts, his needs and urges, and his signals informing you of what’s on his mind.

When initiating housetraining, always keep in mind that until a puppy is 7 months old, his control over excretory functions is extremely limited. At least once per hour, and possible more often, he will have to relieve himself.

These urges are even more pronounced after sleeping, eating, and playing. By keeping the puppy confined to a relatively small area lined with papers, you will assure that he does not have the opportunity to make a mistake and necessitate verbal reprimand. He will naturally seek the place furthest from his sleeping quarters to soil so that he may keep his own bed clean.

Therefore, take this cue and, after he naps, eats or plays, place him on his papers or outside in the yard. When your puppy soils where you have placed him, praise the dog immensely, but make it sincere. Unconvincing praise doesn’t fool anyone, even an eight week old puppy.

And as a side note, apartment dwellers and owners who are away at work all day are generally are more successful paper-training a puppy until his is old enough to have considerably control.

Keep Supervision Tight For The Free-Roaming Puppy

If the puppy is allowed to roam about other areas of the house, be sure  he is carefully supervised. Should he lower his head, sniff and begin to circle, be quick! Get him onto his papers or into the yard immediately. When he relieves himself, praise, and lots of it, is in order. However, if, through your fault, he has an accident, no spanking or rubbing his nose in it, please!

Such punishment does not fit the crime, being too degrading and encouraging such habits as stool eating (and thereby re-infestation with parasites). By all means show him what he has done, scold him and place him on the papers. But remember, the accident was your fault for not supervising him properly or not being aware of his warning signals, so go easy on him. Be sure that the soiled area is carefully cleaned, deodorized and disinfected as any remaining scent will surely prompt him to return to that very spot when the urge next hits him.

Housetrain Older Dogs The Same As You Would A Young Puppy

For the older dog, paper training is generally superfluous. Regular outings timed to coincide with his peak urgency periods (which, by the way, are the same as a young puppy’s: after meals, naps, and play periods) should accomplish training in short order. While confinement to a very small area is probably unnecessary, supervision and praise must never be forgotten. They are the magic “tricks” to housetraining any dog.

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Potty training for puppies is a necessity because no matter how cuddly, cute and adorable a puppy can be, they can also be extremely gross! You know what I am talking about when your little darling suddenly presents you with a puddle or pile of urine or feces on your good carpet, it doesn’t seem quite so darling then, does it?

Don’t feel guilty: It’s tough to love a puppy that uses your entire house as its bathroom.

But take heart, you don’t have to live with such an individual. You can teach your puppy proper bathroom behavior, to do its business only at the times and only in the places that you want it to. This teaching process is called puppy house training and you can ace Potty Training A Puppy as long as you follow these seven simple steps.

Step One: Buy A Crate

Years ago, people didn’t use crates for Potty Training Puppies, and the process was a lot tougher than it is today. Crates tap into a dog’s basic desire to keep its den clean. It’ll do anything to avoid pooping or peeing there. That avoidance gives your pup the incentive to develop the bowel and bladder control that’s essential to effective housetraining.

In addition to housetraining, your puppy will learn to see the crate as a place to relax and sleep. Right now, though, all you need to know is this: Housetraining is much easier on you and your puppy if you use a crate. Don’t try to do it without one.

Here’s a tip: In addition to a crate, baby gates can keep your puppy safely confined and help prevent housetraining accidents when you can’t watch your puppy.

Step Two: Pick A Potty Spot

Before you can teach your dog to pee or poop in a specific area, you have to choose the right area best suited to your property. Generally, the best place for that spot is in the backyard near the house. That way, you and your pup won’t have to go very far when it needs to poo. Make sure the area is easy to clean; dogs don’t like using dirty potties any more than we do.

Another important advantage to using your own property is that you can better protect your puppy from deadly diseases, such as distemper and canine parvovirus. Both diseases can be transmitted through contact with infected dog’s vomit or bodily waste.

Because other dogs, except those that already live with you, aren’t likely to eliminate in your yard, your puppy won’t come in contact with those potentially disease-transmitting agents.

Housetraining your puppy is about to get real easy, so long as you are following these seven simple steps to success. That means that you have already purchased the right dog crate, perhaps a baby gate in the process, and have picked out the perfect potty spot (preferably in your back yard).

Step Three: Make Scents

Your puppy’s sense of smell is far better than yours. The canine snout has about 220 million cells designed specifically to detect scents, while we humans have only about 5 million such cells. Adding to that incredible scent-detecting capability is the moisture in and on your puppy’s nose, which lets it collect large numbers of scent molecules that together amplify what it’s already smelling.

Still, another scent-detection enhancement is your puppy’s olfactory center (the area of the brain that identifies scents) and nasal membrane, both of which are larger than the corresponding areas in human beings. All of those physiological differences mean that your puppy can detect lots of scents that you cannot.

So what does your puppy’s super sniffing mean for your efforts to housetrain it? Quite simply, you can use the scent of a previous bathroom break to show your puppy where you want it to take its next one. The next time your puppy pees, wipe its bottom with a paper towel or soft cloth, and save it.

At the next bathroom break, take the cloth and your puppy to the outdoor potty spot, and place the cloth on the spot. In all likelihood, your puppy will sniff the cloth intently, then re-anoint it. Repeat this process a few times, and soon your puppy will do its business on the potty spot without the cloth or any other prompting from you.

Step Four: Make A Schedule

Now that you’ve shown your puppy where you want it to do the doo, you need to show it when you want it to. For a while, though, the timing of its trips to the outdoor potty isn’t completely up to you. That’s because a puppy can’t hold its water – or the other stuff – for very long. In fact, puppies younger than 4 months of age may need 12 to 14 bathroom breaks each day.

The best way to keep track of all those bathroom breaks is to establish pre-determined times when you’ll feed your puppy, play with it, take it out and put it in the crate for a nap. Such a schedule not only gives you some predictability during the housetraining process, but your puppy will also become housetrained more quickly. That’s because if you take it out to eliminate at the same times every day, its body will become accustomed to the schedule, and it’ll be conditioned to do its business when you want it to.

Are you ready to wrap up our easy and easy to follow 7-step housetraining guide? These last few steps are crucial, so pay attention.

Step Five: Look For Cues, Give One Back

Now that you know how to teach your puppy when and where to potty, you need to know what to do when it actually eliminates. Once your at the potty spot, you’ll see your little doggie sniff the ground intently, perhaps pace or circle, or maybe come to a sudden halt. All of these behaviors are cues that in just a few seconds, your puppy will either produce a puddle or make a deposit.

No matter what your puppy’s pre-potty signal is, you need to give it a cue in return as soon as it starts to eliminate. This cue, or potty prompt, should be something like “do your business” or “go potty now.” Use the same phrase each time your pup goes, and keep the following point in mind: Make sure you can say the phrase in public.

(Sure, it might be amusing to teach your puppy to pee when you say “take a leak” or “take a whiz,” but do you really want to say that out loud in front of strangers? You be the judge.)

It’s important to limit your use of the potty cue only to the times you want your puppy to do its business. Some people use a more general phrase, such as “hurry up,” but such a choice can backfire. If, for example, your dog hears you tell your child to “hurry up” and get out the door to school, your dog may present you with a most unwelcome gift.

Eventually, your puppy may associate the phrase with the deed, and potty exactly when you tell it to. Such skills come in handy on cold or rainy nights when you have to take your puppy out for a potty break, but you don’t want to have to wait too long for it to unload.

In any case, once your puppy finishes its business, praise the pup lavishly and give it a small treat. Then, bring it back inside. Potty time shouldn’t turn into play time.

Step Six: Be Vigilant

While your puppy is still learning the housetraining basics, your job is to make sure that it doesn’t have the opportunity to make mistakes (or at least as few as possible). For this reason, when your pup is not in its crate, you must watch it carefully. In fact, don’t take your eyes off it.

If your pup shows any signs that it needs to potty, scoop it up into your arms and get it outside. Then, when your puppy eliminates, praise it enthusiastically. If you’re too late, and your puppy graces your carpet with a puddle or deposit, put your puppy in its crate and clean up the mess without comment.

Use an enzymatic cleaner designed specifically for pet stains to eliminate the odors that might encourage your dog to potty at that spot again. Then, promise yourself and your puppy that you’ll keep a closer eye on it in the future to prevent such an accident from happening again.

Step Seven: Be Patient

And finally, have patience. Don’t expect your puppy to learn its bathroom manners overnight. Housetraining takes time, patience and understanding. Your puppy needs time not only to figure out what you want it to do, but also to develop the physical ability to control its urges to poop or pee until it gets to the potty place.

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Potty Training A Puppy“>Potty training a puppy can sometimes be a daunting task for the first-time puppy owner, especially if you have little to no experience with dogs. The effort, however, is well worth it all when you consider the security you will get knowing you won’t have to clean up after a whole mess of poo in and around your house.

So without further ado, here are a few simple tips to help teach your little pup where to go when he has to go:

1.    Reserve a lot of time for the potty training process. A few days up to a week is more than enough for your puppy to learn where to go, but you need to ensure that you spend this time carefully supervising the puppy. This is especially true after it eats, wakes up or has gone through a few hours without excreting. Taking a few days off from work or sucking the time away from your vacation will be for nothing if you don’t keep a careful eye on your puppy, so keep the puppy in sight at all times.

2.    Know when a puppy is going to go and you will be able to speed up the training process while preventing an accident from happening. When a dog has to go, it will start sniffing the ground and go around in circles. Once you spot this, immediately pick the puppy up and bring it to its potty spot. This is precisely why you need to keep your untrained puppy in sight at all times.

3.    Keep a crate or cage ready when you have to go to sleep or leave the house. Dogs don’t like to excrete near their sleeping area, which makes a crate or cage perfect for the potty training process when you need to turn in for the night. This also teaches them the ability to hold in their poo or pee for a period of time, which is a plus when you let the puppy sleep indoors.

4.    Acknowledge the power of words when it comes to cueing your puppy. Use a phrase like “go outside” or “do your thing” as the puppy urinates or defecates. After about a dozen or so times, the dog will begin to pick up on the verbal cue. This verbal cue increases your influence on the pup’s timing of when to excrete and is easy to reinforce while Potty Training Puppies.

5.    Remember that puppies have a low attention span and be careful with your rewards and punishments. You only have 30 seconds, give or take, to reinforce or punish a behavior. If you spot a “puddle” or “landmine” somewhere inside your home, don’t go around whaling on your puppy. They would not know why they are being punished, and they would end up neurotic. Likewise for rewards.

So there you have it, five simple tips to help you in potty training a puppy. Keep them in mind, and you will have a puppy who knows where to go when he has to go!

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