Potty training your new puppy can be a very daunting task, but proper technique can speed up and ease the process quite a bit. Before starting your puppy’s potty training make sure you are ready to put in all the effort necessary. If you’re not consistent, the process won’t work and your dog will become confused and harder to retrain. Another tip is to have treats handy, as they will be important in the training.
Step One: Separate
The first step is to separate the puppy from the entire house. You want him to be in a smaller, easier to control area. An animal play pen (pretty much a wire fence you set up in a circle shape) works great. If you don’t have access to one of those, keep him in a single room for this training (tiled floor preferably).
Step Two: Furnish
Set up the area so that there are a few puppy pads grouped together in one side and his bowls and bed on the other side. You don’t want him to think it’s ok to drag his toys or blankets on the bathroom area, so if he does make sure to move them and correct him.
Step Three: Wait, wait, wait
The next step is a little boring and time consuming, but ultimately necessary. You have to wait for nature to call. In the meantime, go ahead and play and socialize with your dog as you normally would. When he goes to relieve himself, if he is not on the pad, pick him up and quickly carry him to the pads. When he finishes on the pads make sure to praise him and give him a treat. You want him to know that what he did was good. This one time alone won’t train your puppy, so you need to wait again until he has to go and repeat the process over and over again.
Step Four: Step up
Since puppies have to potty so often, you will get plenty of opportunities to train him the first day or two. When he starts to get the hang of it, step it up and let him have more room to roam. You want him to seek out the puppy pad to use the restroom no matter where he is in the home. Make sure to keep the pads in the same area though. When he becomes fully trained you will be able to move them to exactly where you’d like them and he will continue to use them. Just make sure to keep an eye on your puppy and if he tries to go to the bathroom off of the pad, quickly take him back to the potty area. Remember to always praise him and give him treats when he does go on the pads.
Potty training for dogs is just like humans in that everyone takes at it differently. Your puppy may breeze through the steps and pick it up in no time or he may take longer to get the hang of it. Make sure to stay patient and consistent in your training. If you do this, your dog will learn how to use puppy pads in no time.
