Puppy Potty Training

When you first get a puppy, the very first behavior that you are going to want to train them in is going to the toilet outside.

It is important to remember that when a puppy is very young, like a baby, they don't have full control over their bodies. While some owners will try to begin potty training at four weeks, most puppies do not yet have the muscle control required at this age. Most puppies can normally begin training successfully at six to eight weeks.

Potty training can take weeks, so patience is vital. Occasionally some puppies will manage to be completely trained within two weeks, but it's usual for a four to six week period of training to be undertaken before ‘accidents' stop occurring. Persistence is the key, along with calm and patience.

Begin looking for the signs your puppy displays before going to the toilet. Direct the pup outside, and then praise him or her once elimination is completed. During the initial stages, your observations are a key factor in successfully potty training your pup, so make sure that you are aware of the behavior your puppy shows when it needs to go to the toilet.

The most common behavior indicators are circling and squatting. When you see this, pick up the pup, use the command ‘outside' and then take the puppy outdoors. Of course, there may be occasions where you miss the behavior, but it is important not to become upset with your puppy. It takes time for bladder and bowel control to develop in a puppy, and time for them to learn to let you know they need to go outside.

Young puppies generally need to eliminate every two to three hours, so if you haven't noticed any displays of toilet behavior during this time, try taking the puppy outside anyway.

Even when you are outside with your puppy, if you are in the initial stages of potty training, continue to look for signs that the pup needs to eliminate, and give the chosen command if that behavior begins. This speeds up the time it takes for the puppy to associate the command with the behavior.

Though it used to be a popular training method, it is important never to rub your pup's nose in any accidents, especially if you don't know when the accident occurred. This can set training back, as the puppy will not associate the punishment with the behavior, as too much time will have lapsed in between the two actions. This then simply confuses the puppy, and it is unable to work out what you expect from it.

Even once successful potty training is completed, there may be times in the future when your pet slips up. It is important not to punish the dog however, as it may indicate that there is something wrong, or you may have simply missed the cues your pet was giving you.

Like all forms of animal training, potty training requires consistency, patience and praise. If you put in the effort, you will find that other training behaviors become easier to teach, as you have set the ground work down during the potty training.