Last Updated on March 23, 2022 by Kravelv
There are a lot of things that need to be considered when you teach a puppy to relieve itself. Like with kids, it is a slow and arduous process that requires a lot of patience and persistence. As an adult, rational person, you are the one that has to lead the way.
Potty training is the basic training process that sets up basis for everything else. If you can’t teach your dog to do at least that, everything else will pose a problem.
However, potty training is not only about disciplining your puppy. It also creates a relationship between two of you.
Here are some tips that will help you out during the teaching process.
Setting up the foundations
Puppies are very suggestible. They will follow your lead no matter what. Because of that, you need to set up a good example. If you’re indifferent towards potty training, your dog won’t care as well. In the end, it is much easier for it to just poop somewhere in the corner instead of going out.
You need to go out every day and create a habit both for you and your dog. However, everything you do needs to be done with affection, not aggression. Based on how you behave towards the dog, he will perceive relieving himself as a positive or a negative experience. It might even develop a fear of you if you use punishment as a disciplinary measure.
You also will need a command that will tell the dog that it needs to pee or poo (for example, “go pee!”). After it’s done, you should caress him and make it feel good. You need show your puppy that there is a good and a bad way to relieve itself all while avoiding punishment of any sort.
Actionable Tips
So now that you understand the basics, it’s time to mention the necessary tips and tricks. Here’s what Kaufmann’s Puppy Training experts advise:
Dogs are very similar to humans when it comes to relieving themselves. They always have to go out in the morning when they wake up. Also, make sure to go out in the evening, just before the dog goes to sleep.
Also, puppies often need to relieve themselves after an afternoon nap.
Make sure not to excite the dog. When excited, puppies cannot control their bladders and might lose control. Dogs get excited during and after play. It might not even realize this but it might need to go and pee or poo.
Dogs usually need to relieve themselves 10 to 30 minutes after eating. As a precautionary measure, make sure to go out. Have in mind that some dogs have slower metabolism and may require from 40 to 60 minutes to digest food.
Always go to a same area and lead your dog to a same surface. If you choose grass, it will teach it to always relieve itself on a grass surface.
Dog’s diet will play a major role when it comes to potty training. By creating a schedule and start feeding your puppy in the same intervals, it will be easier to predict its metabolism.
Pay attention to certain signs that may indicate that puppy needs to go. For example, they get rather restless and may even start clawing and barking at the door. But, as the dog starts maturing, this it might start faking the real need just so it can go out.
Conclusion
Potty training is a slow process. Mistakes will occur. However, when that happens, you need to stay calm and collected and avoid punishing the dog. Training needs to create a bond between two of you and help other trainings.
