Housetraining, toilet or potty training, as it’s also known, is one of the first things to teach your puppy. It is also one of the most common areas of training that people struggle with. This article will provide some proven tips to quickly housetrain your puppy.
Choose A Designated Toileting Area For Your Puppy
Puppies don’t come pre-programmed to know where they are allowed to go to the toilet. They aren’t being naughty or stubborn when they pee on your rug or shoes. Puppies will toilet where they are when they need to go.
Remember, their bodies are not fully developed yet, and they have little to no control over the muscles for bladder and bowel movements.
When you first bring your puppy home, take it outside to the chosen area and allow it to investigate the area. When it pees or poos, give it lots of praise and a small tasty treat to reinforce that toileting there is a good thing.
Use Lots Of Praise And Rewards
Puppies will repeat a behaviour or action if it is positive and rewarding. Giving lots of praise and a small tasty reward when it toilets outside will encourage your puppy to repeat toileting outside. The more rewarding it is for your puppy, the more it will repeat it, and the more it repeats it, the quicker it becomes a habit.
Don’t Make A Big Deal About Little Accidents
There are a few reasons not to get upset about toileting accidents.
- The puppy can’t help accidents; it has very little control over its bladder or bowel.
- Some puppies may take negative attention as attention. This means you inadvertently reinforce toileting inside as the puppy receives your attention when it toilets inside.
- Shouting, being rough, or hitting the puppy will increase its anxiety levels, causing it to fear you. This can cause more accidents indoors, as an anxious dog may urinate to appease you and show you it’s not a threat.
- A puppy who is fearful of toileting around you will struggle to toilet outside when you are near them, and they may also hide inside your home to toilet. Making messes tricky to find and causing your home to smell bad.
The best option is to ignore your puppy and quietly clean up the mess. Ensure you thoroughly clean the area with an enzyme cleaner to remove the smell.
Set Up A Good Routine
A consistent routine that suits your lifestyle and puppy’s needs will help housetrain your puppy quickly. Your pup will need to go outside after:
- Sleeping (including naps)
- Eating and drinking
- Playing (sometimes during play)
- Getting excited
By sticking to a routine, your puppy will become less anxious because it knows what’s coming and when. And you will know when to take your puppy outside, reducing accidents and increasing successful toileting outside.
Be Patient And Consistent
Be realistic with your expectations; puppies will have accidents; they can’t help it. But by staying patient and consistent with your routine, praise and rewards will help your puppy learn quickly.
If there are times when you can’t take your puppy out, try to arrange for someone to do it for you at the usual time. This will ensure that your puppy will learn quickly.
If your puppy still has accidents a few months into your routine, a vet check-up will rule out any underlying medical conditions that may be causing toileting accidents.
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