Potty training puppies can be relatively simple, or cause us a lot of grief. This guide will cover some of the best techniques that simplify the potty training process, and some of the common reasons it can be a ruff time for new puppy owners. The main concept is that PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT in all aspects of puppy training, whether it’s a habit we want our puppy to develop, or one that we don’t.
Potty Training Habits Start Early
First and foremost, the way that the litter was raised will have a profound effect on potty training your puppy. Crazy, right? Training is training, amiright? I wish… If the area your puppy was raised in was not kept clean, and the puppies soiled the same area they slept in, they already have a dirty habit. Puppies whose sleeping area is kept very clean early on, and have access to a separate area for pottying, and an area for playing, eating and sleeping that is done far from their excrement, are MUCH easier to potty train. So if you buy a puppy from a breeder or a rescue who keeps the puppies contained in the same area for sleeping, pooping and eating, what those puppies are learning is that it’s okay to poop where ever they can. The puppies that have an opportunity to have distance from their poop and pee are much cleaner puppies, and will be fussier (in a good way) about needing to use the bathroom away from their sleeping, eating and play-places. Practice makes perfect.
This breeder has a great set up for these puppies future families, by example:
Puppies raised in a small space (whether from a breeder, in a shelter, or puppies out of a pet store (face-palm)) are much more likely to be difficult to potty train simply because there isn’t the space for them to ‘practice’ sanitary potty training behavior. Practice Makes Perfect.
Keeping your puppy on a schedule
Timing the feeding routine, access to water, and potty breaks is critical. Puppies need to poop and pee right when they wake up, after eating, and after playing. While confined in a crate and at rest, most puppies can ‘hold it’ for 2 hours for every month of age. You will likely need to do one or two middle of the night let outs for an 8 week old puppy. Your feeding routine should be on a schedule. In order to predict the timing and quantity of what should be coming out, you need to monitor when the food is going IN. You will need to adjust your schedule based on the success of the routine. Practice Makes Perfect.
Pro-Tip: If you REALLY want to get the most bang for your buck, you should feed your meals via a simple training routine, or puppy preschool style session. You will be surprised how quickly you can feed an entire meal practicing and rewarding some manners and good social puppy behavior. Practice Makes Perfect.
Most dogs (see above) understand near or far from their own poop and pee. Inside or outside is less important on their list — which is also a big reason small breeds, such as yorkies and maltese, can be more difficult to potty train. To really instill that concept you must supervise and confine your puppy. Allowing them to wander out of your sight, even for a second, will likely result in an accident in the house. Opportunities to play and really get the zips out need to be outside. Not only will they likely need to potty if they are really getting some energy out, but they will also quickly associate indoors and the calm space, where they don’t use the bathroom, and that outside is the exciting place, where play and pottying are encouraged. Pro-tip – When your puppy goes potty outside, take AT LEAST 3 more minutes to play with them or do little walk about with them. This will teach your puppy to potty outside quickly, instead of dilly-dallying about. Puppies will quickly make the association that their walk or outing ends as soon as they use the bathroom, and they will hold it outside to maximize their ‘fun time.’ Practice Makes Perfect.
You may notice they have certain body language that indicates they are looking for a place to go potty. This is why it’s so important that you keep an eagle-eye on them.
Potty Training and Diet
Feeding your puppy a high quality diet can insure that they will develop properly mentally and physically, and are less likely to have digestion or urinary tract upset. Poor quality dog food has a lot of ‘fillers’ and materials that dogs don’t need and can’t digest, just read the label. All those fillers and preservatives will cause your puppy to poop more, needing more frequent potty breaks. Most kibble is the equivalent of fast food for dogs. Yes, you can survive on processed foods, but there will be a host of maladies that are possible with poor nutrition, and added chemicals and preservatives. Many people will coach you to ‘ask your vet,’ about diet advice. It’s important to note that Veterinarians are general practitioners. They are not nutritionists, and if they had any education in vet school on this topic, it was likely taught by Purina or Science Diet, for one semester or less. Diets can certainly be customized to a breed’s needs factoring in growth rate and body type, and optimized for each individual. The gold standard of canine nutrition is feeding a balanced raw diet. Whether you feed a raw diet or kibble, do some research on canine nutrition, to aid you in potty training a puppy.
If you are following the schedule, supervising and confining your puppy, feeding a high quality diet, and they are still having accidents (especially if in the crate) the next step is to rule out a GI or Urinary Tract issue. It is incredibly common for puppies to have Giardia, or other parasites, and to get Urinary Tract Infections. Even if your puppy was previously de-wormed, you should still take a stool sample to your vet to be sure of a clean bill of health, or a urine sample in to rule out UTI (both should be available to you without an appointment). Before you can solve potty training problems, you need to rule out any medical condition.
If this sounds like a lot of work to you, that’s because it can be! Consider a puppy boarding and training program with a professional dog trainer to keep your puppy on track. Practice Makes Perfect.
