There are a few secrets to puppy toilet training although, as with all dog training, most of the emphasis will always rest with you! Here are the facts about puppy toilet training:
Just as when a baby needs to go toilet they go, so it is with puppies – when a puppy needs to go they will go! So to start with you have to get them outside before they toilet inside. That is your job! If you fail, then blame yourself.
The best way to show your puppy where you want them to toilet is to show them the correct place. The best way to do this is to take them out when they need to go, and then praise them when they go. You will be amazed how quickly they will learn if you give them an amazing treat for going in the right place.
Think of it like this. If the treat is a little piece of cheese, your puppy will after only a few toilets in the correct place start looking for the cheese treat saying “Hey where’s the cheese I just toileted on the grass!”
At a very young age 8 weeks or so a puppies bladder is very small and they can only hold on for sometimes 30 minutes or so before they may need to go again. So you must be vigilant.
After a meal, puppies will often need to go within 60 seconds so always take them straight outside. You should also take them outside as soon as they wake up, as their bowels will start to move right away, and also last thing at night.
Associate a word or phrase that everyone in the house sticks to such as “go toilets” – this way your puppy will start to hear the word and know what it means.
If you puppy does not go then be aware that they may still need to relieve themselves soon and restrict their movement to a smaller area that is easy to clean until they are taken outside and definitely do toilet.
You should never rub a puppy’s nose in it to teach it a lesson. A puppy’s nose is 1000 times more sensitive than a humans and this will never teach them not to do it again. They will simply not know what they did wrong and do it out of sight the next time such as behind the couch!
There are lots more tips and tricks that you will assist you but these are the real basics. Take a look at The Online Dog Trainer for more fantastic advice and videos about how to stop any puppy issue – it’ll be the best dollar you ever spent!