Toilet Training Tips for New Puppy Owners

This article was written by Edlyn Cotaco of Instasize

Having a new puppy can be a really exciting time in your life. Whether you’ve wanted one for a while, or this is something you’ve done on a whim, you’re going to love your new puppy. She or he will keep you very busy and very active during the first year or so, as they learn and adapt to their new environment, so will you.

Having a puppy is said to be a lot like having a kid – you’re having to be the one to teach the pup all the things. This becomes more and more true, the younger the puppy. One of the biggest things that your new pup will learn is to use the toilet, initially (probably) indoors, before venturing out into the big wide world, with lots of things to smell and lots of things to pee on.

For now, though, you’ll want to acquaint your new puppy with where they are to pee in the house. Here are a few tips on how best to acquaint your pup with their ‘pee place’ and how to keep them going back there until such time as they venture outside and the outside world becomes their bathroom.

Be patient 

One of the best things you can be to your new puppy is patient. Like a toddler, they don’t know anything until you teach them. Accidents will happen, and you should be prepared for them and ensure that you don’t take those accidents out on your pup. Getting angry about the ruined carpet will not help your dog adapt. You must exercise extreme patience with your pup and let them know that it’s okay that the accident happened and you’re not mad. They can’t learn that way.

Know your dog’s bladder

Something to bear in mind is that smaller dogs have smaller bladders and higher metabolisms. If you make sure that you feed your puppy regularly, but don’t overfeed them – say, once in the morning, once in the afternoon and then perhaps again in the evening – this will train them over time to expect these meals, but not rely on them. It is also important that you take away their food between meals to not overeat and risk an accident. Generally, the smaller the dog, the less time you’ll have between them going to the toilet.

Don’t start too early

Ideally, you want to start toilet training your puppy between 12 and 16 weeks. Before this period, they won’t be able to process what’s happening and learn appropriately. Essentially, they won’t be able to learn.

Exercise is Important

One of the important aspects of puppy ablutions is the presence of regular exercise. Try and take your puppy out first thing in the morning and then once every half an hour. This will get their body and bowels moving to ensure that they have plenty of opportunities to use the bathroom. It will also create a memory pathway in the dog’s brain that outside = bathroom, which they will remember as they age. Eventually, they will learn where they go to (say, the front door), when they want to let you know that they need to go outside.

Repetition, repetition, repetition

The establishment of a routine is one of the most important parts of training any animal. This routine also extends to puppies and potty training. Make sure that your dog goes out for a walk and does its business at roughly the same time(s) in the day. If they’re going in the backyard, then ensure that they go in roughly the same spot. This will make poop-scooping easier and also establish a definite ‘bathroom area’, as the puppies’ sense of smell will guide them.

Make sure they’re properly groomed

Another all-too-important aspect of a well-potty-trained pup is also a well-groomed pup. Maybe you just got your new pup, and they have some matted fur around their nether regions. Be sure you take them to a professional dog groomer in order to get those mats taken care of. This is critical to the health of your pup and their ability to properly have bowel movements. 

Potty training puppies is a lot like potty training humans. It requires patience, persistence, repetition and time. Let your new pup explore the outside world as much as possible so that they’ll know that outdoors means bathroom time and don’t be too worried about accidents happening – clean-up is usually pretty quick and painless.

Image Credit: Pixabay

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