Potty training a puppy on pads takes time and consistency. When you bring your new puppy home as a new family member, it’s a joyful moment, but a new pet also has obstacles. The largest and first time problem you could encounter is potty training process.
While some puppies will pick this up immediately, others will take longer. Always keep in mind to be consistent, patient, and relaxed during this training period. Potty training may be easy if you maintain a good attitude and adhere to these rules.
Suppose you are worried about puppy potty training of your puppy. Don’t give up. You can learn how to toilet train her in an apartment using the suggestions I’ll offer.
Other possibilities include taking her outside until her bladder control improves or using inside restrooms.
You want the best possible relationship with your dog, after all. Your ability to speak with and form a relationship with him will be aided through house training.
One method for teaching your puppy how to relieve himself is using potty pads, often known as puppy pads, wee-wee pads or pee pads. Of course, your puppy will need to be trained to use a pee pad because this isn’t a natural behavior. The key to this puppy training method is consistency, which you may utilize to educate your puppy to relieve himself outside finally. If you don’t know what to do, potty training a new puppy might be challenging, but there are various tools you can use to encourage your puppy to relieve itself in the right places you want it to.
Choosing Potty Pad
A potty training pad is meant to give your dog a visible, regular place to relieve himself. You should pick a large enough material to accommodate the messes your particular dog generates, absorbent, and simple to clean up. In contrast to miniature breeds, large breed dogs may require substantial duty solutions. There are several possibilities, including newspapers, paper towels, cloth towels, puppy pads from the shop, indoor/outdoor carpet potty stations, and pee pads.
Although newspaper and paper towels are cheap, they can be dirty and difficult to clean up when your dog goes potty on them. Although absorbent, cloth towels require frequent washing, and your dog is more likely to want to gnaw on them like a blanket or toy. The most common choice is to use pee pads from the store because of their absorbency, size options, and simplicity of disposal. Indoor/outdoor carpet potty stations made exclusively for adult dogs are fantastic solutions if you want to educate your tiny dog to go outside instead of inside.
Scheduling & Routine
Establishing a routine for your puppy is among the most crucial things you can do.
A regular regimen is healthier for puppies. They should have a feeding Schedule, get regular exercise by going for walks or playing, and go to bed at the same time every day.
House Training
Puppies need to go to the bathroom after sleeping, eating, playing, chewing, or experiencing stimulation.
I am aware that they seem to be little toilets. But things will improve when kids have greater control over their bladder and intestines.
A puppy eight weeks old puppy must go pee every two hours or so. About every four hours, a 4 month of age dog has to go potty.
Due to their smaller bladders, smaller pups typically need to urinate more frequently. Amazingly, though, some young puppies may do it for longer overnight.
To prevent an accident during potty training a puppy, I will even stop the play and take him to his designated place.
Giving a puppy no freedom outside your sight when house training him is important.
He could go off and have an accident if allowed free rein in the new home or apartment.
Additionally, if he has too much freedom, he could gnaw on household goods, which is unsafe. He may not want to chew them. He may even cause destruction.
Watch Your Puppy for Potty Cues
It’s important thing to keep a close eye on your dog and figure out when he has to use the toilet. Puppies often provide a signal when they need to go.
Others begin to smell the ground. Some people circle. Some people whimper, get agitated or leave the small room for a door or a corner. Many times, it’s too late to prevent the mishap by the time some pups even begin to raise their leg or squat.
“Go Potty” Phrase Cue
When house training a puppy, it’s crucial to start by taking them to the same location. They will leave their smell behind and get used to walking in the same spot and on the same ground.
Use a command like “go potty” before he uses it when you arrive at his potty spot. It will serve as a trigger for him to move and will motivate him to move more quickly.
Accidents Might Happen
Most pups will sometimes have potty accident. Don’t yell at him if you catch him breaking a house training rule.
You may use the sound “eh-eh” as an interrupter, then lead him to his designated bathroom break and give him praise and a reward after he finishes.
If he has an accident that you are blind to, remove the stain and odor using Rocco & Roxie Stain and Odor Remover.
Even when you are careful, there will always be a few mishaps, so always have easy access to your cleanup items.
Prepare feces bags, paper towels, and enzymatic cleanser. Additionally, you may wish to prepare a separate trash can with a liner for any feces or paper towels used for cleanup.
It would be best if you did not discipline him. He won’t comprehend it afterward. Keep a closer eye on him the next time.
Other House Training Assistance
You may even wrap a “hands-free” leash around your waist and walk your dog while holding it.
For the puppy to follow you for a long time, you would have a special leash attached around you and another around six feet long. When your puppy has to use the bathroom may then be determined.
You should be aware of several things if you want to utilize this approach as one of your home training tools.
To prevent him from being anxious, ensure the puppy gets used to being on a leash initially. Use a harness so that a collar doesn’t restrain him while you walk.
Last but not least, I advise against doing this often. Although being close to each other is wonderful, it might also cause separation anxiety in him if he feels concerned when he’s far away at the other end of the room.
A bell that your dog may learn to ring when the desire strikes him to go pee is another tool for house training. There are several types. Some need to be pressed to ring, while others dangle down from doorknobs.
If you’re bringing him to an indoor or outdoor specific place, ring it on the best way out to help teach him. He should eventually learn to aim for the bell and ring it if you’re consistent.
Leash Training
Getting your dog acquainted with a collar, harness, and leash is essential to house training. Initially, many pups buck against them.
To take him to his designated restrooms, however, you’ll need him to become acquainted with them. Although you can put him in an indoor potty area (described below), leaving him alone outdoors would be dangerous.
It may not be feasible to instantly use an outside restroom if you reside in an apartment or condominium.
If you want to bring your dog, you may have to carry him outdoors to his designated bathroom.
Don’t worry. There are alternatives if you can’t bring him outdoors until he can “hold it” for extended lengths of time.
Confinement
It’s important to employ some confinement, such as a crate, an exercise pen, or a secure area that is fenced in, to house train a puppy properly.
You may successfully house train your dog using a properly sized wire cage or exercise pen. You may get a wire cage with a removable partition for the puppy.
It should be possible for your puppy to stand up, turn around, and lay down in a wire box or plastic kennel.
If it’s too big, the puppy could sleep in one place and go to the potty in another. Because puppies naturally prefer to keep themselves and their resting place clean, crates work well.
If you want to use a crate, ensure the puppy is regularly brought outside when he has to go pee, or he will inevitably have accidents in the crate.
If you have trouble getting him outside to use the restroom when you need to, you may need to enlist the positive reinforcement of a family member or trusted friend. To assist you in taking care of your dog’s requirements while you are at work and help you potty train him, you may also employ a dog walker that has years of experience who train him with hard work.
Your dog may be kept indoors using an exercise pen. Or you may use a baby gate to keep him in a smaller space like the kitchen or bathroom.
If you utilize a room, be sure nothing dangerous is within his grasp. Anything he might consume, such as towels or cleaning supplies, falls under this category.
The drawback of employing an exercise pen or safe room is that a puppy may tend to urinate in one area while playing and sleeping in another.
For your puppy to learn where he should go pee, if you employ these kinds of confinement, you’ll need to have someone carry him there often.
Indoor Potty Spots
Having an indoor bathroom is an additional option, as is covered below. Dogs living in flats or condominiums might benefit greatly from this method of house training.
You might provide your dog with a special indoor bathroom. Please keep it in the same or new spot to prevent him from believing he can use the restroom anyplace else in your house.
An indoor bathroom might be good option if you work full-time. But while he’s learning, you may still need someone to make sure he knows where to go pee.
The alternatives for indoor restrooms are many. There are dog litter boxes available that are constructed of absorbent materials and may be changed as needed.
Your dog can relieve himself on real or fake grass in certain toilet areas.
There are also toilet paper holders and pads. To entice the puppy to use the restroom there, the pads are created with a soft, absorbent layer on top that is often perfumed with an attractant aroma.
Additionally, pads feature plastic bottoms to prevent urine from seeping through to your floor. You may also buy a pad holder to keep the pad in place.
If you want to utilize potty pads as a part of your house training regimen, be sure to choose the right size for your puppy, or he may inevitably have accidents off the pad.
A Yorkie will be smaller than a Beagle in size. Going a bit overboard is preferable to going under.
I’ve successfully taught several dogs to use these indoor restrooms. An apartment was littered with messes from a Shih Tzu I was training for a customer.
The 13-week-old puppy couldn’t contain herself and had to be taken outside to lie on some grass by her owner since she resided on the third level.
So I advised utilizing a toilet mat where the dog could reach. As you would house train a dog to use the grass outdoors, I taught the puppy to use the toilet pad.
I led the dog to the potty pad and used my standard phrase. I quickly complimented and gave the dog a little reward when it urinated or pooped on the pad.
Naturally, the owner had to follow the same daily schedule, bringing the puppy to the pad after she had eaten, slept off, played, chewed, or experienced any stimulation.
Additionally, you may put a puppy pad inside an exercise pen. A portion of the pen may house the pad, while the remaining portion can house space for sleeping and playing.
Even better, you may use a crate training in the exercise pen as the sleeping space with the door left open or fastened back.
If you use a toilet pad, carry your puppy there each time he has to go, and give him praise and treats immediately. It’s crucial to be consistent.
If the room or covered balcony is safe for the puppy to walk in, you may put the potty pad or other toilet facility there. (Confirm that the puppy cannot go through or over the railing, fence, or other enclosure to the balcony or patio.)
It’s crucial to train your dog to use the grass outside unless you want to use pee pads for the rest of his life.
A puppy shouldn’t be brought to regions where other dogs have gone potty until he has received adequate vaccinations.
You may remove the toilet pad as soon as he has better bladder control and can hold it until he reaches the grass outdoors.
Dogs get used to using a certain sort of footing while going potty. I assisted a customer in transferring her dog from using pee pads indoors to using grass outdoors.
The dog was so used to using the toilet pads that he would “hold it” when carried outdoors.
The puppy had to go immediately in the morning, so the owner immediately brought Rufus, the beagle puppy, outdoors and urged him to use the restroom.
The moment the dog left, she gave him a tiny food tidbit and compliments. He switched to using the restroom only when he was outside as his bladder control improved.
I do not advise relocating the toilet pad closer to the door when gradually eliminating it and switching to exclusively using the great outdoors. Some pups may get enticed back to the regions where the potty pad had been.
You may take your dog outdoors to relieve himself after he can regulate his bowels and bladder. You may confidently lead him along the corridor and onto the elevator to go outside.
Infants risk becoming sick or developing an obstruction if they swallow any of the pads. I suggest avoiding using the pads if your dog tends to do this.
Even old newspapers may be used to housebreak a dog. With a Shih Tzu named Cuddles, I did this in the past. I put the papers on a tray to prevent urine from getting on the kitchen floor. I received an unprinted newspaper at the time.
I then took her to the newspaper exactly as I would take her somewhere outdoors. She was also taught to go outdoors by me. She soon mastered both skills with practice and encouragement.
This was before toilet paper pads became common. I will use toilet pads rather than newspaper if you decide to let your dog use the restroom indoors. The dog may be stained by the paper’s ink, creating a mess.
You may utilize several additional types of indoor bathrooms. There are dog waste bins. The right size should be chosen for your dog. Additionally, you may purchase the replaceable absorbent dog litter boxes, just as you would for a cat.
Another design for an indoor bathing area makes use of real or fake grass. Since genuine grass would wither after being urinated on by a dog many times, I would suggest choosing the artificial kind that can be cleaned or replaced.
These indoor restrooms are even designed with high edges if your male dog elevates his leg.
Introduce Potty Pads to Your Puppy
Allow your dog to inspect and smell the potty pads you’ve selected. This will make it more accustomed to the new object and less fearful of it when it’s time to use the restroom. While you repeatedly give a consistent command, such as “go potty,” that you intend to use when it’s time to pee, let your puppy explore the pad.
Anticipate When Your Puppy Will Potty
You must keep your puppy close when potty training them so you can predict when they need to relieve themselves. You can predict when your puppy will need to urinate or defecate by keeping an eye out for a few key periods and good behaviors:
- First thing, Puppies often go pee after eating, drinking, playing, and sleeping. You should pick up your puppy after it performs one of these things and put it on the potty pad around 15-20 minutes later in anticipation of it needing to urinate or defecate.
- Instead of playing or chewing on a toy, your puppy may need to use the restroom if it starts rummaging on the ground. You should take it up and put it on the potty pad it’s a great start.
- Your dog might need to use the restroom every two to three and half hours. Make it a routine to take your dog to the toilet every few hours.
Reward Your Puppy
With pups, praise, small treat and food are quite helpful. Make sure to congratulate your dog immediately if it uses its potty pad. You may do this by verbally expressing your excitement, patting your puppy, or by providing it with a special, soft treat that is only given during frequent potty break.
Be Consistent
Maintain a consistent schedule for your dog. You will find it simpler to predict when your puppy will need to go pee.
Each time, use the same command phrase.
Until your puppy begins using the potty pad on its own, keep the potty pad in the same location. When your puppy is comfortable using the pee pad, you may gradually relocate it closer to the door or outside, where you eventually want your dog to relieve himself without using the potty pad.
Training Mistakes to Avoid
Don’t scold your dog for making mistakes. In the past, when a puppy had an accident, people would massage his nose, smack him on the nose with a newspaper, or even scold him.
These techniques not only harm your puppy but may also destroy your relationship with him and his faith in you. He won’t comprehend what was anticipated, too.
Dogs often only comprehend the events that immediately precede correction or praise.
You must thus keep an eye on him more closely and refrain from granting him any independence outside your line of sight until he is competent to manage it.
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