petPost.org :: Dogs

Hello!

I'm new to the forum. Were getting a puppy in about 4 weeks and before we bring her home I wanted to ask about potty training.

Any advice?

Best solution I found is Kennel training or as others call it, Crate training.

1) Buy a nice crate with room for growth. It's very natural for a dog/puppy and I've found for all our dogs it actually becomes their "spot" / cave so-to-speak.

2) After you bring them home be sure to take them out to do their business EVERY hour on the hour. Don't FORGET. What's also nice is that if you take them to the same place every time, that will become their "spot". This makes it nice as it keeps your yard from getting messy.

3) At night, keep them in the locked crate and wake up and let them out every 2-3 hours. A normal puppy 8-12 weeks old can only hold it ~2-3 hours. The good news is the puppy instinctively will not go in their "spot/cave" or the crate in this case. This makes it nice for you. If they do go in the crate, just realize it was probably because they couldn't hold it anymore. As they grow, they will instinctively hold it all night without a problem (unless they are sick or another factor is involved).

That's about it. 1: Be consistent and don't be lazy. Dogs and Puppies are VERY trainable as long as YOU control the training (not the other way around). 2: Expect whimpering and Crying from new puppies. Just remember, they are not used to being away from their mother and the litter so they are usually loud at night. This is normal for the first few weeks. It can be bad...... but it will pass.

Common bathroom Oops....

It's going to happen from time to time. This is expected and normal. Just remember, if you catch them "in the act", you can correct them using the Apple Bitter Method*.

*Apple Bitter can be purchased in a bottle from most pet stores. It's a non-toxic liquid which many pet owners/trainers use. Put apple bitter on a cotton ball and stick it into their mouth at location of the "mess". They should spit it out as I'm sure they don't like the taste.

The thought here is they will associate going to the bathroom in the house with a nasty taste of Apple Bitter and won't do it again....

If however they have already gone and you find the puddle / mess..... It's to late to correct them. Just clean it up GOOD and move on. If you try to correct them, they will become confused being that they have no idea WHAT/WHY your correcting them.

After a few weeks of doing this, you should be on your way. Once trained (and as the puppy grows up and it's bladder enlarges) your new friend should only need to be let out 2-3x a day. The key is you! Be consistent. Every hour on the hour!

Hi SleepOn!

I couldn't agree more! Crate training for us really worked out well. Only suggestion would be to keep a nice towel in the crate while training so that it's nice and soft and welcoming and... easily washable. next, when your pup is grown (3-4 months) and capable of holding it for the night a nice pillow in the crate makes it nice for them. our dog jaskson just LOVES his crate! I'm so glad the breeder we bought him from made the suggestion!

Have fun!

Yup. We bought a crate for our pups and now they share one. It's a larger stainless steel crate. Very nice. We keep it in the Garage and cover it with a blanket (our dogs - Lab and a Boxer) seem to like it when it's covered. Must feel like a DEN to them. ?

So, it's been a few months now, how did things go?

Crate Training is the best. It's sooooo hard at first however when you leave them in the crate overnight however. Eventually it becomes their security / comfort space but for the first week it can really be hard listening to their crying...

I cried myself to sleep just listening to my pup the first time.