Remember, in Part I we spoke about habits and the importance of setting up a schedule after bring your new puppy home. We mentioned being available to your dog in case he 'needed to go' during the off scheduled times. It happens to the best of us. No matter how hard we try, our puppies manage to eliminate in the home at some point in time. We can do our best to be there for our puppy, but sometimes it happens so fast.
If you do not catch your puppy pottying in the house, then do not punish him for it! Clean it up and forget it. If you catch the pup starting to go, firmly but quickly say "No" and take the dog straight to his potty area outside.
Successful puppy potty training is about prevention, never punishment. It should include close supervision, confinement and plenty of encouragement. Your close supervision is essential any time puppy is not confined to a small area such as a bathroom or kitchen. In the event of an accident, do NOT punish. With most puppies, this whole process of potty training could take as long as 6 months. Never punish your dog or scold him.
Look for signs that your dog needs to eliminate. Be observant. In time your dog will begin to alert you when he has the urge to go. Be patient. By observing your dog you will quickly learn to tell the difference between the pup's exploring his new universe and his searching for a "good location".
During puppy's first week or two you may also want to designate an area in the house and put his bed on one side of the room and use newspapers or puppy pads on the other side. Newspapers can quickly be cleaned up and thrown away. After he eliminates, quickly clean up and lay new papers down.
If you are someone that works full-time, using crates during times when you can't supervise are the best potty training aids. Arrange for someone to come into the home to take your puppy outside every few hours until you get home from work. Expect your dog to 'hold it' 1 hour for each month of age your dog is. For example: if puppy is 3 months old, expecting him to 'hold it' 3 hours is not unreasonable. Never leave a dog in its crate all day.
If your puppy is going frequently in the house you are probably not supervising enough. Watch and learn his potty cues. If puppy piddles when you greet him, this could be submissive urination. This would be a problem that is usually cured by ignoring the behavior and letting your puppy calm down before touching them when you first see them. Never punish your dog or scold him.
Clean up is rather simple. Do not use cleaning agents that have amonia in them. It will only enhance the odor and urge the puppy to go in the same spot again. Use pet cleaning agents found online or in any nearby petstores.
If you want potty training to go quickly, regardless of the method you use, follow these simple tips and try to spend as much time as possible with your puppy. Remember to be patient. Rome wasn't built overnite! |
