Though diapers are available for puppies, these are not a long-term solution. Hence, once you get your puppy home, you must start potty training. Remember this is not going to be easy and you might even regret having a new puppy around.
However, things will get better with time (and loads of patience).
In essence, the trick of potty training is “to prevent”. Easier said than being done, however if you follow these 5 simple tips you will do just fine.
1. Positive Reinforcements Work Better
You must an image of animal trainers holding a stick in your mind but your pet is just a small puppy that has the tendency to forget. Thus, it makes no sense to punish your puppy by hitting or yelling, when it pees or poops inside your house. In fact, such actions may confuse the little one making it move around frantically. This only increases the tendency of creating more accidents.
What can you do?
Just open the doors of your house and let your puppy out to continue with its business, you can laud your puppy for the act.
2. Be Attentive.
Yes, it is tiring but if you watch for the signals then you will understand what your pup wants. The best way to do this is to create a safe circle for your pup inside the house so that you can prevent it from wandering away and allowing it to peep and poop anywhere it feels. Ensure you never leave your pup unattended because your goal here is to prevent mistakes from happening rather than regretting for what has already happened.
What can you do?
Some good methods to mark your pup’s boundary may include getting a safety tether, long leash or installing safety gates. In this way, you can have a constant eye on your pup and detect signals of distress at the right time. Watch out for small signals like lying at your feet and whining, sniffing the floor or moving in circles frantically.
3. Take Your Puppy Out At Regular Intervals
This is the simplest way of preventing accidents. Your puppy may not pee every time you take it out but this will prevent the chances of indoor incidents. You need to understand that puppies have small bladders and bowels, hence they cannot hold on for long. Thus, it is required that you take your puppy out and the frequency will depend on the age. As your pup grows older, the frequency reduces.
What can you do?
Take your puppy out every one or two hours irrespective of whether it pees or poops. To prevent nighttime incidents, ensure to make it a habit to let your puppy pee right before its bedtime. In addition, get your puppy familiar with one spot where it can carry out its business.
4. Time For Treats & Praises
What is the best way for your puppy to realize that it has done a good deed by doing its business outside the house? You need to make it realize by bestowing it with applauds and some treats.
What can you do?
Every time your puppy pees or poops outside, do a small performance number like clapping, patting their heads, talking sweetly or treating them to a piece of their favorite snack. It might sound weird but with consistent efforts, your puppy will correlate these actions to potty time outside and not indoors.
5. Consistency Is The Essense
No matter what you do and how much you do, the most important tip to potty train your puppy is to be consistent.
What can you do?
Consistently watch out for signals, communicate with your puppy, do not resort to strict punishments, allow puppy-outdoor-time and appreciate your puppy for every good deed. The moment you break this routine, all your efforts go waste.
All these being said; accidents do happen. However, ensure to clean up right after an incident using good quality and good smelling cleaning products. Remember that puppies and dogs have the tendency to pee and poop again in the same place as they have a great sense of smell.
Author Bio
This post was contributed by Pete Decker, the Lead Editor at The Goody Pet. Pete loves to share his passion for pets through snippets of interesting and helpful information. You can find more of Pete at his website, Twitter or Facebook.