Potty training a puppy can be a complicated process. That is why you should start as soon as bring your puppy home. Young pups eat and drink frequently, which means they relieve themselves frequently as well.
However, potty training a puppy is the most important step for a long and happy life, not only for you but for your pup as well. This will require a lot of patience, consistency, and positive reinforcement from your side. The end goal is to imbue positive habits and build a loving relationship with the newest member of the family.
House training should be fairly easy, but keep in mind, setbacks and accidents are part of the journey. Destroyed rugs and floors, or stinky messes are not the ends of the world. Keep positive reinforcement at all times, it will serve as a good foundation for future training methods.
Although outdoor training is recommended by many experts, there are circumstances when puppy pads will be more convenient and necessary.
Potty Training a Puppy – Crate or Paper?
Potty training a puppy can be done in many ways. But crate training and paper training are the two most commonly used methods.
Crate Training
Not many people want to confine their young pups in a crate, but crates make life easier. You should accustom your dog to a dog crate for many reasons, such as travel, vet visits, or safety purposes.
Make sure the crate is the right size, enough space to stand up, turn around, and lie down. When the pup feels an urge for going to the bathroom, it will whine and scratch on the crate. This is the time you should take your poppy outside, otherwise, it will lose control in its crate, creating a mess that you will have to clean.
Developing a routine is key. Start by throwing a snack inside the crate and allow your puppy to go inside, then praise it each time it enters. Over time, the puppy will associate the crate as its living space. And pups just like humans, don’t want to soil where they sleep or eat.
Paper Training
Potty training a puppy with the paper training method is very popular, especially with young pups.
With time, paper training will teach the puppy to urinate on a specific area in the house or the outside yard.
First, you start by finding a place where the puppy can roam when unsupervised, preferably close to where it eats and sleeps.
Second, line the area with puppy pads. In the beginning, your puppy will urinate all over the place, but it will always be on a puppy pad.
Third, you remove the number of pads gradually. Now the pup is used to urinate on pads, so it will seek the area where the pads are still on the floor.
And finally, ensure that the last pad is the farthest from the pup’s bed and closest to the exit.
Once the puppy is confident and is seeking to go outside, remove the last remaining pad.
Benefits of Puppy Pads and Choosing The Right One
Potty training a puppy can be a challenging process. That is why puppy pads are an excellent training tool. Here are the biggest benefits of owning a training puppy pad.
Benefits
Makes life easier. Using a puppy pad makes training a lot easier and safer. Moreover, it’s convenient for both you and the pup. Maintenance and cleanup are simple, just toss the dirty pad and place a new one.
Safer for young pups. Some immunization shots are given when the pup is 4-5 months old, some even later. Exposing a young pup to the outside world while it’s not vaccinated can be dangerous.
No access to the outside areas. When small, pups urinate almost every hour due to their small bladders. If you live in an apartment, reaching the outdoors in time is not always possible. Puppy pads really come in handy in these situations.
Work-life. If you have to leave your pup alone for a few hours, it’s always a great idea to train it to use puppy pads.
How To Choose One
Absorbency: Always choose puppy pads that have high absorbency capacities. As we mentioned, young pups urinate almost every hour. Some pads can be used several times before you have to discard them.
Pet Attractant: Look for pads that are made with an odor that attracts the puppy.
Durability: Pups tend to bite and chew things, including the puppy pads. Make sure you buy sturdy and durable pads.
Re-usable pads: These kinds of pads can withstand up to 100 washings. If you want to be more economical, these are a great choice.
Conclusion
To summarize, accidents will happen no matter how hard you try to prevent them. Reinforcing positive behavior during potty training is the best thing you can do, and you will soon become an expert in puppy potty training.
To limit accidents, keep a tight and consistent schedule. Successfully potty training a puppy can take several months. But gradually, you will notice a change in their behavior, and signs such as sniffing, whining, or simply sitting by the door, indicating they need to go to the bathroom.
