Potty Training Tips!
With puppies, potty training is one of the first things you work on AND one of those constant headaches until you get a good rhythm. Here are some tips:
- Have a crate for your puppy that is their size! Enough room to turn around and stand up, but not big enough to run around or play. If it is too big your puppy will potty on one end of the crate and sleep on the other!
- How old is your puppy in months? Now add 2 hours to that and voila, that is how long your puppy can hold it before they need to go out to potty. So, if your new puppy is 8 weeks old (2 months old) they can only hold their stuff in for 4 hours before needing a potty break. (Yep, you've got to wake up in the middle of the night and come home during the day - or pay someone too!)
- During your nightime potties, do not play with your puppy! It's all business- go potty, back to bed. If you get them playful they will want to keep you up! Keep your puppy on a leash so they don't turn potty time into "run around and chase leaves" time!
- Your puppy needs to potty within about 30 minutes of eating or drinking. So that means, you can't just feed them and go to work - you need to wake up early to get a routine of:
Potty (pee definitely, poo maybe)
Feed (through training)
Train/walk
Water
Play (10-15 mins)
Potty (should see pee and poo)
Crate
Before you leave for work, if you have time, potty your puppy twice before work- especially, if they drink alot of water!
- When your puppy is having playtime, they need to pee more frequently. Take them out every 15-20 mins during playtime.
- If your puppy naps and wakes up, take them potty. They always need to go out anytime they wake up.
- If you need to put your puppy in their crate to leave, take them potty first. Anytime they are coming out of their closed crate, take them potty right away.
- Stop all food by 6pm and take up water by 8pm. Feed your puppy 3 meals per day - when you control how much goes in, you know when to expect waste to come out! Do not free feed your puppy, or they will be eating and pooping all day long and you'll never get potty training down.
- If you can't watch your puppy, put them back in their crate. When your eyes are off of them they WILL potty in the house. Heck, they will do it infront of you too - so keep your schedule!
- Don't use a doggie door with your puppy. They will not learn how to build stamina holding their bladder. They may also go out and not do anything! You need to be there to see that they have pottied, and most importantly REWARD them for going outside!!!!
- If you take your puppy out and they don't potty, bring them inside and put them in their crate. 10-15 mins later, take them back out again. Repeat this until they potty outside. (People make the mistake of letting puppy run around after they go out but don't do anything, and immediately the puppy potties inside! They don't want to potty in their close space, so back into the crate!)
- Make sure your puppy gets a poo in before bedtime.
- DO NOT PUNISH YOUR PUPPY FOR ACCIDENTS IN THE HOUSE! If your puppy potties in the house, it's your fault - not theirs. They need you to stick to their routine! Be prepared for some accidents while you guys get in a rhythm - be patient and calm. Reward them when they potty outside! Remember, you invited this tiny baby creature into your home :)
On my Instagram, I have a saved IG story about Puppy Training featuring our chocolate lab puppy Dewina, when she first got here! ⬇️
https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE3ODQyMjg2MDA4MjMzMjQ1/
