How To Potty Train Your Puppy
I got Gweni a few months ago and have successfully potty or house trained her. It had been a while since I’d house trained a dog so it was a great refresh on what works best.
Kind of like having a baby, you forget exactly what it’s like.
I’m going to give you an easy 3-step process to potty / house training your puppy.
I find dog trainers and people on Youtube make it more complicated than it is. That’s why I’ve called this training ‘for idiots’. Because you’re probably not a professional dog trainer. You’re probably a first time owner that wants an easy, simple process to follow.
So I’m going to give you the exact 3 step process that got Gweni potty / house trained quickly and effectively.
And, I’m also going to give you 3 reasons people generally go wrong.
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When To Take Your Puppy Outside
Take your puppy outside at the end of each activity. By activity I mean, playing with ball, having their dinner, waking up from a nap. At the natural conclusion of every thing they’ve just done. Take them outside.
Some dog trainers say, take your puppy out every half hour or hour, but I say No that won’t do. Once they’ve stopped doing one thing they are liked to sniff circle and squat which is why you should take them outside then.
After a nap is a particularly good time.
2. Treat or Praise? Positive Reinforcement of Desire Action
The Way dogs think is, something good happened to me after I didn’t that so…I’ll keep doing it.
And the thing a puppy most enjoys is praise from his / her new owner.
Treats as praise? I don’t think I ever managed to get the treat out of my pocket in time. And by the time she ate the treat she had moved onto the next activity so I was left wondering if she really understood what the treat was for?
Watch them going to toilet in their area, and go over and praise as soon as they’re done. That way your timing for the positive reinforcement is spot on.
Step 3. Timing Is Everything: When To Bring Your Puppy Back Inside
After they’ve peed, let them continue to sniff as that may lead to a No.2 or another wee, but once they have stopped toileting and have started to engage in play or barking, let them know toilet time is over and bring them back in.
That’s so important. I got Gweni in the summer time and let her wander in and out and for the first week and I thought I was doing well. But on the first raining day she toileted inside the house. Because I hadn’t trained her what going outside was for.
That’s the 3 steps for success!
3 most common errors How To Potty Train Your Puppy
Now I’m going to tell you the 3 most common errors everyone makes which prolongs the whole toileting training process.
1. Allowing your dog to follow you into the kitchen when you’re preparing food.
Food and Play are a puppies life. They love both in equal measure. So if you’re cooking in the kitchen and ignoring your puppy, they will pee as soon as your back is turned…every time.
You must put them outside, put a barrier up so they can still see you so they don’t feel like they’re being punished by being outside, but don’t give them opportunity to pee in the kitchen. Basically they’re trying to get your attention to say, hey what about me, when is it my meal time!
2. Night time Crating. I bed-crated Gweni, because she really didn’t like her crate. She sleeps on a blanket on the end of my bed, but many of you will be crate crating. If your puppy is in your room, the rule is you must get up and let them out as soon as they jump off the bed.
You’ll be surprised how quickly they adapt to your routine. Gweni now goes to bed at 9:30 and jumps off the bed at 7:30. Don’t brush your teeth, or put your socks on, just have a pair of joggers and a T Shirt to hand and get them straight outside. That includes in the nighttime- even if it’s 4am.
Gweni had only one accident on her blanket on my bed. That was it. But I didn’t get her out fast enough one morning and she peed on the rug. So don’t delay get them straight outside – and straight back in again.
3. I never once got angry with Gweni. Sure, I voiced disappointment, but getting angry will only make your puppy more nervous. All training is best done with positive reinforcement.
