It's 2021, and you’re working from home due to Covid. You realize it’s a perfect year for you to add a new puppy to your family! You know you will be able to give a new puppy the time and love it needs.
You spend months researching the right puppy for your family. You finally find the perfect puppy and can't wait to get them home. You are excited to add a new puppy to your family. The first night you bring your new puppy home, they pee on the carpet a few times.
As the week progresses, the puppy continues to have accidents in their kennel and on the floors. You don't know what you are doing wrong or how to solve this frustrating issue.
Puppies are cute, cuddly, and great additions to the family. But let's face it, puppies can be frustrating if they continue to have accidents during the first few months. Using these 5 tips, you can start potty training immediately when you bring your puppy home on the first day.
Tip #1:
Let out your new puppy every 1-2 hours.
The first tip might be obvious to you, but it matters. Young puppies can't hold their bladders very long. They will pee wherever they are in your house. As a good rule of thumb, I used to space out my puppy's potty time every hour. The more you get the puppy used to using the bathroom outside, the less the puppy will go in the house.
A new puppy owner's common struggle is leaving the puppy alone for long periods, leading to multiple accidents. Accidents in the house increase the time for your puppy to get potty trained!
Look at having a friend, family member, or hiring a professional to come let your puppy out during long periods. Again, try to keep the time frame between 1-2 hours.
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Tip #2:`
Maintain a consistent schedule. Do your best to let your puppy out at the same times every day. Your puppy WILL most likely need to go to the bathroom 1-2 times during the night.
If you are working from home, take a break every hour or 2 to let out your puppy. You’ll be happy you did this in a few months.
If you go to bed at 10 p.m. and wake-up at 6 a.m., most of the time, your puppy won't be able to hold its bladder for 8 hours. If you are having trouble hearing your puppy, try to set alarms every 2 hours, at least until your puppy is trained!
Some of these times of day should include:
Bright and early before breakfast.
After breakfast
Before lunch
After lunch
In between lunch & dinner
Before dinner
After dinner
8 p.m.
Right before bed
Midnight
2 a.m.
These times might seem like a lot, but the more consistent you are with letting your puppy out to potty, the better chance your puppy will understand to go outside. The number of potty sessions will ramp down over time. Once my dog was closer to a few months old, he only needed to be let out 5-6 times a day and night.
Tip #3:
Praise.
Praising your puppy will show them they are doing what you want! Use a high pitch voice and start rapidly saying "Good boy/girl" a few times during and after your puppy does their duty.
Praise them with affection. Give your puppy tons of pets and hugs to show them this is the behavior you want to see from them.
Praising should be used in every part of training with your puppy
Tip #4:
Encourage, encourage, encourage! Start using a command when your puppy does his/her business outside.
Tie a word or command into your puppy's potty training. My dog is now 4. I used 2 separate commands during his potty-training weeks. He still understands "Find A Spot," "Poop," and "Go Poop." Using these commands, he knows I want him to use the bathroom before coming into the house. I still use these commands at 4 years old!
Your puppy will slowly start to learn the command you give. Start using the phrase you wish to associate potty time with immediately when you get your puppy.
Tip #5
Watch for signs! Dogs and puppies tend to show a sign they need to go potty.
Every dog has a different personality, which means different signs. You need to figure out your puppy's signs early. My dog sits by the door and jumps on me. I can immediately tell he needs to go out to the bathroom.
Some signs to look out for include:
Barking
Squealing
Sitting by your outside door
Jumping
Acting irregular
Restlessness
Understanding your dog early can cause fewer hassles and save you time cleaning up multiple accidents in your house. Getting your puppy house trained quicker will make the entire puppy process easier.
Bonus Tip:
Treat reward for mature dogs and new puppies.
Rewarding your dog for performing the task you want them to do is a standard training method for all types of training. If you have a food-motivated dog and are struggling with accidents, try using treats as a reward. Try peanut butter or their favorite snack.
You can also use treats for puppies after a potty trip to reward them!
Puppies are great additions to your family. Keeping your new pup on a consistent schedule will help the potty-training process. Every tip can also be used for people who are struggling with their mature dogs. Consistency is critical when ensuring your dog is properly potty trained! The more consistent you are, the better results you will see.