The Ultimate Guide To Toilet Training

Puppies learn from their mother not to go potty around where they sleep, mother dog cleans up the mess around them when they relieve them-selfs so it's always clean. We can imitate this natural way no matter the age of the dog by using the following methods.

WHAT AGE DO I START TOILET TRAINING MY PUPPY

For everyone's benefit, as early as possible. However, like babies, young puppies are conveyer belts - in one end out the other - so don't expect magic results until your puppy is up to 6 months old.

In this early growth and development days puppies eat more food, burn up more energy, and constantly need to...well...you get the picture! They also haven't developed bowel and bladder control, so they can't 'hold it' as long as grownups.

Be patient and allow for some mistakes, but always keep in mind, your puppy does want to be toilet trained. He or she wishes for nothing more than to please you, because when you're happy, they're happy too!

STEPS TO TOILET TRAINING YOUR PUPPY OR DOG

Step One - designate an area where you want your puppy to go to the toilet. If you have an outside area, make it the garden. If you live in an apartment, use a dog loo or wee mat on the balcony.

Step Two - take your puppy to this area when you think they need to go. Wait until the job is done. If they do not go to the toilet then, take them back inside for 10 minutes then go back out so they have another chance or you may end up with a mess inside.

Step Three - praise them!. By associating the designated toilet area with a reward, they are more likely to continue using it.

HOW DO I KNOW WHEN MY PUPPY NEEDS TO GO!

Puppies almost always need to go after a meal, after a snooze and when they're excited and have been playing for a while. 45 minutes to 1 hour is a good starting point for a puppy and much longer for an adult dog. This time can double during the night, but its best not to take chances and create bad habits.

A common sign to look for is sniffing around and around to the point of circling as they look for a suitable place to squat or take weight off one leg for a while.

When you see this behaviour, take them to the toilet area, wait until they've gone and reward them for a job well done. If you are rushing and interact with play or try to encourage with baby talk, they will not relax so neither will their bladder.

Remember; After meals, after a big drink, a nap, being excited, playing for more than 10-15mins

HOW DO I REACT TO ACCIDENTS?

If pup forgets to the toilet in the right place, don't get angry - they won't understand what they've done wrong. Instead, soak up urine or pick up the doo in a paper towel and, along with puppy, take it to the designated area.

Let your puppy sniff the paper towel while you are in the toilet area and tell them they've been good. Doing this helps with associating the toilet area with urine, feces, and getting a reward.

this solution works for adults who have broken the routine.

If they make a mistake inside do not get frustrated or correct them, a correction can only be useful when you catch them just as they are about to squat or lift their leg.

It's important not to give and attention if you have missed this opportunity, even if it's negative attention after the fact. If you do, then this can cause them to pee or poo when you leave home as they will run through behaviours that have brought them attention in the past because its unnatural for any dog to leave its family.

WHAT ABOUT WHEN PUPPY IS HOME ALONE?

Of course, you're not going to be able to watch your puppy all day and take him or her to the toilet area. And in the early days, it's also unlikely puppy will have access to the designated toilet area when they're home alone.

Crate training is a godsend to you're carpeting when you are not home. A crate the correct size will trigger dogs denning instinct so they will not go potty where they sleep.

NO CRATE? NO PROBLEM - PUPPY PROOF A ROOM

The best thing to do is "puppy proof" a room that has non-porous flooring, such as the bathroom or laundry. In the area, set the puppy up a little home with a sleeping area, feeding and watering area and a toileting area, put the food and water area and the toilet area as far apart as possible.

SHOULD I USE PUPPY TRAINING PADS?

No, the pads contain scent that triggers them to pee or poo so using them in your home is a huge mistake, it's old advice to use puppy pads and slowly move them out the door, this only teaches them that they can go inside. We want as little as these instances as possible!

ADD SOME CUSION' FOR THE PUSHIN'

Because puppies prefer to go to the toilet on nice soft porous surfaces, use newspaper on the floor in the toilet area. This helps to encourage them to the toilet there. But don't be surprised if your puppy doesn't always go on the paper. Sometimes it just seems like more fun to chew it and drag it around the room.

Change the papers when you get home and as often as required. As with the paper towel for accidents you miss, you can use the paper to encourage the puppy to toilet where you want them to be eventually doing their business.

When it comes to toilet training your puppy, remember the self-responsibility mindset - "It's always you're fault!" Understanding that somewhere along the line we have made the mistake helps us not become frustrated when accidents do happen.

*The words puppy or adult dog can be interchangeable throughout this blog