When you bring a new puppy home, properly housebreaking it is one of the first things that should be on your mind. I’m sure that I don’t need to tell you that having a puppy defecate all over your new pair of shoes is undesirable. The following article will try to highlight mistakes you could potentially make while toilet training puppies and give you a fair amount of tips so that you’re well equipped and can start training your new family member effectively.
Why is Toilet Training Important?
All puppies should learn some discipline, and toilet training can be complex and challenging both for them and their owners; It is healthier, both for the puppies and their owner. Just think of what happens with dogs that are not trained in this regards. Besides the precarious hygiene, could you live with the dirt and with the smell? I sure couldn’t. It shows how much you love your puppy and strengthen your bond with it. And although toilet training puppies can be quite a headache, it is very useful when it comes to vacations or friendly visits! Would you like your puppy to fool around in your best friend’s home, in your arms or in your hotel bed? Obviously not.
Now that we agree on the importance of toilet training, let’s go on to the next important issue:
Where can you get Your Puppy Trained?
In dog training schools;
At home, with a private dog trainer;
At home, by yourself;
Deciding to take your puppy to a dog training school can be a good and yet difficult decision at the same time: good, because once you find the perfect club, you should be able to enjoy the results soon. In terms of housebreaking puppies, they react better when in a community, they learn quicker and they adjust a lot easier. However, good clubs can be both very expensive and difficult to find. When looking for one, make sure the trainer is someone motivated and with relevant experience, check out references and try to get a deadline, so that you can evaluate the progress yourself.
A private dog trainer, on the other hand, might actually save you some money. The best thing is that the training can take place in your home, and that should definitely speed up the results. But whether it is just basic discipline or potty training your puppy, they won’t bond with just anyone, and even if they do, you still need to make sure you learn the tricks so that your puppy will obey you too, not just the private trainer. The good thing is that when the training sessions take place in your home, you can assist and learn some valuable strategies.
But the cheapest and most challenging option is to do everything yourself. You can take it as a test, the one that would verify the bond between you and your puppy, as well as your training skills. Although the reward is huge, this option requires a lot of work from your part, and there is one thing you should keep in mind before, during and after toilet training – puppies are not babies, so don’t treat them as if they were. Instead, here is some valuable information you can use:
Puppy Toilet Training Tips
When toilet training puppies you should begin as early as possible. During the first few months of your puppy’s life, when it is still young, it can learn a lot quicker.
Puppies normally urinate early in the morning, when they wake up, and 15 minutes after eating. Due to the fact that they have limited or no bladder control, they urinate every two or three hours and sometime instantly when they are excited or very active.
For the beginning, observe their needs and keep a record to know when to act;
Take your dog to the garden or walk it as often as necessary and stay there as long as it takes; Associate specific words with the puppy’s needs and repeat them on every occasion, so that the dog can make the connections between its need and the words. For this part of the puppy housebreaking routine, repetition is the key to fast learning.
Be consistent in everything you do: every change in your behavior, approach, or training program might confuse your puppy. Puppies’ attention is limited, so set up a training program based on short regular sessions and stick to it.
Start with simple things and continue in the same rhythm. The simpler the commands, the easier it will be for the puppy to obey. Make sure that the training sessions become a routine. Keep the same background / area and stick to the same type of actions.
However slow the progress of your puppy toilet training, puppies react better to calm cheerful voices, so make sure you do not lose your temper. Gain your puppy’s trust and keep him motivated using various rewards, from playing, praising and petting, to treats and toys. That should be enough to get your puppy used to its duties and schedule, but there are a few common mistakes you should avoid.
Toilet Training Mistakes:
Over-feeding: it will interfere with your puppy’s digestion and implicitly with its toilet needs.
Mixing up food or messing around with your puppy’s diet: it might have the same unwanted effect.
Not complying with the feeding hours: it will prevent you from establishing the routine you need to teach your puppy some manners.
Leaving food in your puppies bowl: it breaks the basic rule of toilet training, puppies eat reasonable quantities, at reasonable hours. The food left in the bowl would make them eat more or outside the regular eating hours.
Salty food: it will make them drink more water and urinate more often, which will obviously mess up your routine.
Applying punishments for indoor accidents: it may seem the logical thing to do, but it might make the puppy afraid to urinate in your presence, even when you are in the garden.
Expecting too much, too soon: Whatever their needs and your experience in toilet training, puppies don’t talk. In time, you might be able to read the signs and know when your puppy needs to be taken outside, but don’t expect that to happen too soon.
Keeping the back door open all the time: It may seem easier, but when it comes to toilet training, puppies need to make a difference between the toilet and the playground.
Letting the puppy go out on its own:
Leaving rugs or carpets on the floor before the toilet training pays out:
Expecting the puppy to last through the night without toileting: it may happen one day, but don’t take miracles that easily.
It may seem like a lot to process, but when you assume a serious responsibility like toilet training a puppy, the puppies themselves should be taken seriously too. They are not just a piece of the puzzle, but the puzzle itself. Therefore, whatever you do, remember your puppy’s needs and habits, remember that it is a dog you are trying to train. And even if you have to work a bit more for the results, they will be one of the greatest rewards you can expect.
And now let’s see what other things you need to consider to make sure your efforts pay off:
– If you always work with your puppy in the same place, it will take some time until it starts showing good manners in public. What I mean is that in terms of potty training your puppy, those that were taught to go to the toilet in the home garden only might not do it during a walk in the park, so don’t be surprised if yours waits to get back home.
– It is very important for your puppy to socialize, to be around people, around other dogs, in various environments. It should also help you get to know your puppy better and know what to expect in such circumstances.
– Besides toilet training, puppies need discipline learned via a “gentle” way. They need to learn what they are allowed to do and what is forbidden, and it is your responsibility to teach yours that.
– Puppies should be used to being left alone in the house. It is not something advisable, but if anything happens, I am sure you do not want to find your home trashed.
– There are a lot of things about your puppy you might be missing. Therefore, whenever you have doubts or you don’t know something, ask a veterinarian, a specialized dog trainer, or just surf the web for some answers. Hint you can probably find the answer right here on the daily dog post 🙂
In the end, all that matters is for you to reach your goal. Training your dog can be a difficult but rewarding challenge, so don’t be afraid to try it yourself. Even if it takes a little longer, it will bring a great deal of satisfaction, and I am sure that, in the end, everyone around you will envy you for the wonderful relationship you and your puppy have. And the best and most efficient foundation for this puppy/owner relation is toilet training – puppies need to learn good manners too!
