Potty Training a Puppy: What to Do for Best Results
by Rosana Hart
Potty training a puppy is not difficult to understand, though it does require patience to do! There are just a few simple points that cover the basics, and I will describe them here. Keep your puppy right with you as much of the time as possible. Take him or her to his pottying spot at certain times. Clean up any messes calmly. Repeat this over and over. Sooner or later, you will have a potty-trained puppy.
Here is more information on each of these four points:
1. Keeping your puppy with you as much of the time as possible gives you the best chance of catching him just before he starts to pee or poop. Even if you catch him in the act, it helps the potty training — just say NO and take him to where you want him to do his stuff.
You can keep the puppy very close to you by connecting his leash to your belt. So then if you go somewhere, he does too! You may not get as much done on other projects as you are used to, but you and the puppy will be bonding.
However you do it, stay close to your puppy. Crate training is also very useful for the times you can’t be together. That is beyond the scope of this article but I discuss it at length on my website.
2. As you potty train a puppy, he will gradually come to understand what it is you want. You want him to go to his pottying spot and do his business there. He will learn this faster if you take him to his place whenever he may need to use it. This includes:
*** Every single time he wakes up, whether first thing in the morning or after a nap.
*** Every time he has a meal.
This means a lot of trips for you and the puppy over the course of a day. Also take him out shortly before you go to bed at night.
His pottying spot may be in your yard, or you may be walking him on leash. If you live in a place where it is hard to go outside fast, or if you have physical limitations that make it hard, then paper training is best.
3. When you wipe up any messes that he creates, don’t grumble. The dog will not understand that he has done anything to displease you. People sometimes say that the puppy “looks guilty” but really his expression is more one of unhappiness because he can tell you are unhappy. Puppies take a lot less time to potty train than humans, so just be patient!
4. Repeat these steps over and over, even when you don’t feel like it. The more consistent you are, the faster the puppy will get the idea.
So these are the essential points in potty training a puppy. Best wishes to you and your puppy!
About the Author:
Potty training a puppy is just one of many things to do with your pup. Clicking on the link takes you to Rosana Hart’s website, which emphasizes positive, pain-free ways to training dogs of all ages.
Last 5 posts by Rosana Hart
- Homemade Dog Food: How Can It Affect Your Dog's Behavior? - April 27th, 2008
- In Dog Training, Simple Commands Work Better than Complex Ones - April 19th, 2008
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