Potty Training
Limit food and water intake- specific, scheduled feedings. Immediately follow with a potty break.
Keep the dog in an area where you can see what the dog is doing. If you needed set up an exercise pen to keep the dog in while you are doing things, set a timer to remind yourself to take the dog out to go potty.
Make sure to stay consistent.
- Make sure the dog goes potty while outside. Treat after the potty.
- Next, anytime time dog does to the door let the dog out.
- As the dog is going potty, say “go potty”.
- Right after the dog goes potty, give the dog a treat.
- Repeat
Grass is the place to go
Take puppy out often
If puppy is up and active, puppy should be taken outside to potty every 30 minutes
Outside:
Take puppy out on leash
Take treats with you
Go to place you want puppy to potty
Be quite, don’t do anything exciting, follow puppy if they are sniffing around
As soon as puppy goes potty, let them know how good they are
Give them a treat and as soon as they finish and stand up
Why the reward (treat) is important:
Drives home to the puppy that it is a great thing to potty in the grass
Helps to motivate the dog to want to go potty every time you take them out
Having this routine is important for 2 reasons
Lots of practice doing the correct thing, learning we go potty in the grass
The frequency keeps their bladder empty which decrease accidents in the house
Things to do between potty breaks
Supervise the puppy
IF you see puppy start to do these behaviors:
Circling
Sniffing the floor (more then normal)
Squat
Interrupt the behavior by
Clapping
Kissy noise
Scoop the puppy up and take outside
Make sure to reward when finishing outside
Be careful not to punish the puppy for going potty inside, if you do the puppy could associate going potty in front out you gets them punished and they stop going potty in front of you.
When you can’t watch them, put them in a crate or ex-pen with a bone or stuffed Kong
Handling accidents after they happen:
Clean it up and move on
There is no reason to yell or punish your puppy they don’t know why you are yelling and punishing them.
Puppies are very literal creates and they will associate what they were doing in that moment and being punished.
How long are you doing to have to do this:
Every puppy is different
Can last a couple months should be fully potty trained by 6 months
When you can go 14 days without accidents, in the house, increase the amount of time to take them out
Bell potty training –
Is another behavior to train your dog to be let out to go potty. You will need bells to train this behavior. You can get “potty bells” or Christmas or craft bells attached to a rope or ribbon.
- Once you have your bells, it’s time to start teaching your dog what they mean. How to train this is let your dog check them out, as they do, mark and treat, remove the bells. Re-present the bells as your dog touches, mark and treat. Repeat this behavior a few time.
- Next, add the cue “bells” (or whatever you will use) as your dog touches the bells. Mark and treat. Keep the bells where your dog can get to them.
- Practice using your cue, as the dog touches, make sure to mark and treat.
- Once your dog know the cue, it’s time to move the bells to the door your dog uses to go out.
- Say your cue, as the dog touches, mark, treat and let your dog out.
- If your dog needs to be leashed to go potty do so before you open the door.
- Make sure your dog is going potty. When they come in give them a treat.
- If your dog starts to use this any time they want to be let out, not just to go potty, you will want to use the leash and walk out with your dog. Treat when they go potty. If not, just go back in the house.
- When first using this behavior keep an eye for your dog just at the door, like they know to do.
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