How to Effectively Potty Train A Puppy

Having a puppy is a great experience that everyone deserves. However, caring for a puppy involves attending to its needs, and along the way, there's adventure and learning experience. Also, a part of owning a dog is experiencing a messy and smelly house. That's why potty training is essential.

Potty training can be dubious, especially for people with hectic schedules. However, there are proven ways to do it.

Dogs are Different

Firstly, dogs are different. So, your approach to potty training should also be tailored to the breed, size, and even personality of the dog. Adjust your training method, and if needed, consult an expert.

Mommy Starts

The mother is the first to potty train the puppies. She will nudge them out of their usual places when they wish to relieve themselves. This training familiarises the puppy in places where they should not pee or poop. In this case, they use their sense of smell.

Establish a Routine

You should start potty training immediately after your dog enters your home. Bring them outside after each meal and stay there until they relieve themselves. Making it a routine and trying your best to stick to the schedule will also teach your dog to hold up until the time is up, thus eliminating accidents indoors.

During potty training, keep your dog on a consistent meal time and avoid free feeding so you can easily predict potty times.

Use a Designated Potty Area

As we said earlier, dogs' mothers teach them to avoid their eating and sleeping spots. So, dogs use their sense of smell to know where to relieve themselves. Consistently bringing your puppy to an area near where they previously did their business will trigger their instincts.

Clean Accidents Immediately

Accidents are common, especially for puppies. To keep them from smelling their waste in a specific area of your house, clean it immediately. Use a concoction of soap, bleach, and water to clean the spot and remove the odour altogether. To keep them away from that spot, spray vinegar and sprinkle ground pepper.

Confinement and Supervision

Training your dog to go potty outside also involves supervision when he is inside. Start with confinement in specific areas and continuously increase the places where they can roam once they are already potty trained.

Positive Reinforcements

Dogs love positive reinforcement. To keep them motivated and looking forward to potty training, reward them with treats, petting, and other positive responses after they successfully relieve themselves outside.

Positive reinforcements will help create positive associations with the training and will encourage them to repeat the process.

Consistent Verbal Cues

Dogs can identify sounds and intonations. So, use that to your advantage. Cater a specific command when you would want your dog to go potty. This could be as simple as "Come, potty!" or “Let's go outside and potty", and use it consistently along with gestures like showing the leash or hand signals.

Patience and Consistency

Potty training requires patience and consistency. You'll need lots of patience because accidents always happen and as much as possible, stay away from getting angry and using punishment. You should also be consistent in following the schedule for meal times and bathroom breaks.