Potty Training Your Cairn Terrier Puppy

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Cairn Terrier PuppyNew Cairn Terrier owners often misspell the breed name, but no matter what you call these adorable little bundles of energy, they will enrich your life. Potty training is the first and most important thing you will do with your new Cairn Terrier. Potty training is often a frustrating problem for new puppy owners, but it doesn’t have to be. A common mistake is to not start right away. Potty training isn’t something to wait and start later. Get started on the right foot by following these simple tips to ensure a long and happy relationship with your new Cairn.

Step 1

Start with a proper crate. Crate training is essential to establishing boundaries and proper potty habits for both younger and older dogs. Buy the right size crate by getting one that is just big enough for your new Cairn Terrier to stand up, turn around and lie down in. Your new puppy’s crate isn’t someplace for him to spend all of his time in, and he does not need to be able to play in it. It is where you will put him to sleep or when you cannot supervise him.

Step 2

Take your Cairn Terrier out to play and relieve herself at least every 4 hours until she is old enough to control her bodily functions longer. Never leave your Cairn Terrier in her crate longer than 8 hours. Very young puppies under the age of 12 weeks old should not be left in their crates even for 8 hours. If you have to be away from home longer than 8 hours to work or go to school, or cannot wake up every 4 hours in the middle of the night, consider getting an older puppy over 12 weeks old.

Step 3

Always praise your Cairn Terrier when she relieves herself in the proper place.

 

Step 4

Never punish your Cairn Terrier for mistakes made. If you were not paying attention, it isn’t your dog’s fault, and he will not make the connection of you screaming and rubbing his nose in a pile after the fact.

Step 5

Do not substitute a small room for a crate. Many new Cairn owners feel they are being kinder by putting their new puppy in a small room like a bathroom instead of locking the new puppy in a crate. Even a small room is too much space, and will quickly defeat your purpose. Your dog will not want to soil her sleeping quarters, and if confined to a place only big enough to sleep in, she will hold as long as she can to avoid going potty in her bed. If you give her enough room to move away from where she lays down, she will have ample room to potty.

Step 6

Keep your eyes open when your Cairn is out in the house playing with you. When he starts to sniff around like he is looking for a “spot,” whisk him off to his designated area so he can do it in the proper place. Praise him when he goes in the right spot.