Steps to a Potty Trained dog. 

You have brought your new dog or puppy home. You are excited to have your new furry friend run and play with you. You take your eyes off them  for two seconds and BAM! accident. Your new puppy has just peed on the carpet. Don’t worry, this is normal and you are not alone. Here are some tips to help with potty training your young pup. 

Supervision. 

One of the first things I encourage all of our Blue Ridge Canine Academy clients to do is make sure that they are actually watching the puppy when they are out. It is all too easy to get distracted our the fast paced modern day lives. One second you are checking your phone and the next you are watching your dog have an accident. Make sure that when your puppy is loose in the house that you have eyes on them. 

Use a Leash. 

Having a leash on your puppy is another way to help you supervise your pup. If that leash is attached to you it gives very little room for your puppy to sneak off to have an accident. The leash also allows us to quickly take your puppy outside to go potty when you see those early warning signs. Keeping leashes in consistent areas may also help with avoiding a last second search for equipment as you progress your puppies potty training journey. Remember, if you are struggling with handling your puppy on a leash we offer Puppy Lessons to address these types of issues.

Que the Behavior. 

Each time you go to take your puppy out, remind them of what they are doing. I always tell my young dogs “Potty Potty Potty” as a way to let them know we are using the bathroom and not going out just to play. I use a leash outside when potty training as well to help limit the amount of play until after my puppy has used the bathroom. Sometimes running free and sniffing is more exciting than using the bathroom. The leash helps limit this. Adding the que can eventually keep your young pup focused. 

Monitor Food and Water Intake. 

Free feeding and watering are a common cause of increased accidents. Rember, what goes in must come out. Try to feed and water your puppy on a schedule in which you are home to take them out. This is going to be highly individual to each owner and puppy. We also encourage owners to cut food and water off about two hours before bedtime.

After consuming food and water try to time how long it takes before your puppy needs to go to the bathroom. If you can start to get an idea of how long it takes then you can begin building a more effective schedule. 

Schedule Breaks. 

Try to set an alarm for your puppies’ potty breaks. On average this should be about 1 hour per month of age. As inconvenient as it may be to take many trips out at night it is better to stay ahead of the accidents instead of waiting for your puppy to maybe tell you that they need to use the bathroom. 

As your puppy grows up and becomes more successful with potty training, increase the amount of time in 15-30 minute intervals. It is important to go slowly with these time increases. Some puppies will be able to add time faster than others so be patient and remember that they are babies after all. 

Puppy Pads. 

We do not encourage families to use puppy pads unless absolutely necessary. While some dogs may be very successful with them as a training tool, many dogs are still learning to use the bathroom indoors. For most owners we tell them to put the pads away and encourage you to get them outside on grass as early as possible. 

If you choose to use potty pads here are a few tips for better success. 

• Gradually move the pad closer to the door that you want your puppy to use for potty breaks. 
• You can sprinkle some grass from the yard onto the pad to help associate the smell. Encourage your puppy to use the bathroom on target odors. 
• Once your dog understands how to use the pad try taking them outside to pee on the pad in the area you would like them to go. 
• Decrease the size of the pad until you no longer need the pad at all. 

Use a Crate. 

We encourage owners to use a crate to help with many issues.

-Potty and Sleep Training

– Quiet time and Relaxation. 

– Traveling in Vehicles 

– Many Hotels and Airbnb Require Them. 

– Emergency Situations, Illness and Injuries. 

The crate is going to be very important when it comes to supervising your puppy. This is a chance to give owners a short breather and encourage your puppy to get some well needed sleep. Most puppies and dogs will not want to use the crate as a bathroom. Unfortunately some dogs may still go if left for too long. 

There is no one size fits all for dogs and training but hopefully some of these tips help get you and your puppy through the potty training struggles.