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POTTY TRAINING "DO'S & DON'TS"

Potty training your puppy can be one of the most challenging aspects of his education.  Unfortunately, there truly is no magic wand and the only way to effectively teach your pup to where to eliminate is through consistency. 

Potty training can be viewed as a two phase process.  In phase one, teach the pup where you want him to go and in phase two teach him where you don’t want him to go. The phases are not mutually exclusive which means that you can and should implement both phases at the same time.  

In order to facilitate potty training it helps to understand several basic concepts:

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1.  If you control what goes in, you control what comes out.

Try and feed your puppy on a schedule.  Many puppies have to eliminate 30 seconds to 30 minutes after they eat so if you know what time your dog eats you can probably predict what time he’ll eliminate. Unless your vet recommends it to prevent hypoglycemia, avoid “free feeding” in which food is left down all day for the dog to eat when ever he wants.    Put the food down and leave it down for fifteen minutes. Then pick up whatever is not consumed.  Your dog will learn that if he doesn’t eat it while its there it goes away.  This also helps to prevent finicky eating and allow you to control your dog’s weight.

Offer the dog water several times a day and do not allow him to suck down massive quantities of water needlessly.  The more water he has in his bladder the more he’ll have to pee.

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2.  Dogs repeat rewarded behaviors.

Another key to successful potty training is remembering a key concept regarding dog training in general: Dogs repeat rewarded behaviors.  Soiling in the house is one of the most rewarding things your dog can do because if he’s a little uncomfortable and he relieves himself on your rug he feels better.   Make soiling in the wrong place unrewarding by catching him in the act and interrupting the dog while he’s doing it.  Then take him where it is acceptable and reward him for eliminating there. 

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3.  It’s easier to prevent a bad habit than to fix one once it’s started.

Confine and supervise your puppy 24/7 until he’s potty trained.  Use a crate to create a den-like haven which he should be less inclined to soil.   If you’re not watching him he should be confined, and if he’s not confined you should be watching him. 

TAKE YOUR PUP OUT FREQUENTLY DURING THE DAY!!! That way you prevent him from going to the bathroom in the wrong place and control his going in the right place where concept number two can be implemented.  He’ll probably have to potty after sleeping, eating, playing, etc and the more times he potties where you want him too the less times he’ll potty where he shouldn’t.