How to potty train a puppy
As a man who has raised multiple puppies, I have personally experienced the challenges and triumphs of house training a puppy. Potty training, also known as house breaking, a puppy can be challenging, but it is necessary for the development of your puppy. Every puppy needs to be potty trained and there are many right and wrong ways to do so. The best way (and most effective way) to house breaking your puppy is by using positive reinforcement. Here are a few basic steps to potty training your puppy.
1. Keep an Eye On your Puppy at All Times: Puppies require a lot of attention. Most puppies need to be let outside every 2 to 3 hours. You should never allow your puppy to roam the house alone. This prevents the puppy from having an accident out of your sight. I purchased a small child pen, which allowed the puppy to roam around in a 5 ft by 5 ft section of my living room. This allowed me to do work at home while she played with her ball in the pen.
2. If your puppy goes potty where it is not supposed to, say “No.” If you are watching your puppy and it begins to go potty where it is not supposed to, firmly say “No!” I also shake a 12 oz. soda can ¾ full of pennies. You should then pick up your puppy and carry it outside to where it is supposed to go potty and let it finish its business. After it finishes going potty outside, you should praise your puppy for finishing outside.
3. Do not Punish your Puppy after an “Accident”: Punishing your puppy could be detrimental to house training your puppy and the relationship between you and the puppy. Do not yell at your puppy, rub its nose in the excrement, spank your puppy, or send it to its crate after there was an “accident.” These actions will make your puppy scared of you and slow down the training process.
4. Create a feeding schedule: Putting your puppy on a feeding schedule will allow you to predict your puppy’s potty times easier. Immediately after feeding, take your puppy outside to go potty. I found that feeding my puppy 3 times a day worked the best. I would feed her when I woke up, and then take her outside. During my lunch, I would come home and feed her again, then take her outside. After getting home from work, I feed her one final time and then take her for a walk.
5. Reward your Puppy for Going Potty Outside: When you take your puppy outside to go potty, always bring out a small treat for it. While it is going potty, give it praise, and afterwards, reward it with a small treat. I prefer using “Charlee Bear” treats because they are small and puppies love them.
Potty training your puppy requires a lot of patience and hard work. House training your puppy should take between 2 to 3 weeks. There is no single way to potty train your puppy, but these are the tricks that worked best for me. Every puppy responds to these tactics differently and you will have to adjust your methods depending on the results you are getting. If your puppy isn’t potty trained within the first two months of attempting to potty train, you might want to take it into the vet to make sure it does not have a health issue.