Right now you might be a little bit frustrated because your puppy’s potty training isn’t going as fast as you had hoped. Whether this is the case or you are thinking about adopting a puppy, it is okay because if you give it time and implement the tips I am about to show you, it will fix your puppy’s potty problem.
The key to potty training your puppy is to give your home a “den” like atmosphere. A puppy’s natural instincts tell them that they can just relieve themselves when ever and where ever (except for their den.) The “den” doesn’t have to start off as the whole house and usually can’t be because it’s too large. Start off by designating a small, closed off area in your house as their den and put the puppy’s crate in there (You will probably need some sort of gate to hold your puppy in.) This designated area should be where your puppy sleeps and eats which will tell him that that is his den.
Your puppy may not like to relieve in his den but he will if he has to. For the first three months of your puppy’s life you will have to take your puppy after he plays, eats, and gets up from a nap (These are the most common times puppies will relieve themselves). When your puppy is not doing any of these things you still need to take him out every 30-45 minutes.
For the first three months of your puppy’s life he will only be able to hold his bladder for about seven hours during the night. You can extend this time to about nine hours by putting your puppy to bed for the night and getting him up at about the same times everyday. This consistency will keep your dog from waking up at late hours in the night and relieving himself. (The first thing you should do when getting him up is carrying him outside. If you let him walk, he will go potty.)
Tips: Designate a certain spot of grass for your puppy to go potty in. This way when you take him there, he will know what to do. Reward your puppy with a treat if you take him out to go potty and he goes. Never punish or scold your puppy if he has an accident. Dogs only think in the present and won’t understand that he is being punished for something in the past. This doesn’t help in any way and will only frighten the dog. Give your puppy a consistent feeding schedule. If you know when the food is coming in, it becomes easy to guess when it will come out. Never give your puppy a chance to relieve himself in the wrong place. The more times it happen, the more he thinks it is alright to do so.
Although it is rare to catch your puppy in the act, he will sometimes give you a warning before he does it. When your puppy is in and about the house you need to watch him closely. You might notice him sniffing or circling a certain spot. If so he may be about to relieve himself and now is a good time to take him out.
If you catch your puppy going potty, it’s not too late to try and startle your puppy out of it. You can effectively do this by stomping towards your puppy. If your puppy somehow ends up going potty in the house, it’s okay. Regardless of how good of a job you are doing at potty training, for the first six months (or longer for some breeds) your puppy is guaranteed to have at least a couple accidents.
To clean up both poop and pee, you will need paper towels, vinegar, water, and some sort of stain and odor removing product. For pee first you will soak it all up with paper towels. Next, soak a paper towel in water and add a bit of vinegar. Take the damp paper towel and rub the spot. Finally, dry the spot with more paper towels and spray it with your stain and odor removing product. For poop first you should pick it up with a paper towel and dispose of it. Next, take another one of those water and vinegar towels and rub the spot thoroughly. Finally, dry the spot with a dry paper towel and spray with the stain and odor remover
