3 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Potty Training Your Puppy
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Potty Training
Potty Training Your Puppy Key Points:
- Potty training a puppy involves teaching them to eliminate waste outside or in designated areas.
- Consistency and positive reinforcement are important when potty training a puppy.
- Crate training can help prevent accidents and establish a routine.
- During potty training, supervision, patience, and regular bathroom breaks are necessary.
Pet owners make many common mistakes when potty training their puppies.
Avoiding these mistakes is important to ensure a successful training process!
One of the most common is not cleaning up accidents quickly enough. This can leave residual poop or urine on the pee pad and soil the area.
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1. Punishing Accidents
Accidents are a common problem dogs have when housetraining, and they can be frustrating for you and your puppy. But accidents are not a reason to give up on the potty training process.
In fact, they are a great way to encourage your pup to learn the proper behavior and ensure he’s doing everything correctly.
The key to avoiding accidents is to predict when your dog needs to go outside. This is easier said than done, but it’s crucial to do so when you start potty training your puppy.
If you notice signs that your puppy needs to go outside, such as barking and scratching at the door, circling, or restlessness, take it straight to its potty spot. When you are taking it out, don’t be afraid to reward it with a treat or play with it.
Once you’ve established that potty breaks occur at certain times, you can gradually let your puppy out more freely.
However, remember always to supervise them and never leave them alone.
Punishing your puppy for accidents is not only unnecessary but can also hinder their progress in house training. Instead of reprimanding your puppy for an accident, clean up the soiled area and direct them to their designated potty spot.
It may seem like a waste of energy, but yelling or swatting your puppy is ineffective and can cause more harm as they grow and become fearful of you.
If you find a soiled area, clean it immediately with an enzymatic cleaner that disinfects without affecting the odor. Don’t use ammonia, bleach, or any other cleaner that might cause your pup to have more accidents in the future.
Remember that even the most experienced pet owners occasionally need to reprimand their pets for a mistake they have made.
Remember that your mistakes are part of the learning process and will improve as you reinforce good behaviors with positive reinforcement.
2. Letting Puppies Free Range
When potty training, your puppy needs to be able to explore its environment and have free range. This will help it develop a connection with its potty area and eliminate outside of the house.
This can also teach your dog that eliminating anywhere is okay, not just on a puppy pee pad or Pee Pee Panel. You should set up a designated elimination zone with a pad or grass patch that’s easy for your dog to access, but keep it clean so they don’t feel tempted to eliminate there.
Once your puppy is comfortable using their potty area, let them go out and explore for a few minutes every one or two hours. During this time, please pay attention to their elimination cues and bring them to their designated potty spot when ready.
You might hear a dog circling, squatting, or sniffing around when it needs to go. It’s important to get the dog outside to its potty spot as soon as you see these signs.
After your puppy goes to the potty, take it back inside and praise it for its work. This will reinforce the idea that going to the potty is positive and can make it feel more confident about going in the future.
A good way to do this is to treat your puppy immediately after being eliminated. It will speed up the process, and your pup will start associating the activity with a reward.
It’s a good idea to keep track of the times your puppy has gone to the potty so you can make sure it’s taking care of business at the right times. This will ensure your dog has consistent elimination patterns and speed up the potty training.
A common mistake dog owners make is giving their puppies too much freedom. This can be a huge mistake as it can lead to accidents and potty regressions. When dogs are allowed too much freedom, they tend to be more playful and less likely to listen to your commands.
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3. Not Supervising Puppies
Many puppies, particularly those who have yet to complete their puppy vaccine series, don’t like to be confined and are often more independent-minded than other dogs.
If your puppy is not crated and has freedom of movement during the day, it’s important to supervise them closely.
Supervising your puppy is especially important when you’re working to train them to go potty outside. It helps prevent accidents in the house and teaches them that you’re there to help them with their toileting needs!
It also makes them feel secure. Rather than being in a crate and wondering if they can get out, they’ll know that you’re always watching them, which can encourage them to behave properly.
You can help your puppy understand that going outside is a special time for them by creating a “Potty Schedule.” Set up a chart, a notepad, or a watch alarm to track when they need to go pee or poop.
This will help them learn when to be in the designated potty area and when it’s safe for them to play or explore.
If you choose to crate your puppy for a few hours during the day, make sure they’re allowed out of it for a bathroom break at regular intervals (anywhere from every 10 minutes to once an hour).
Use a timer or watch alarm to remind them when their potty break is coming up, and take them outside immediately after they potty.
This is a great way to avoid accidents in the house and prevent the spread of disease and illness.
It’s a good idea to start this routine when your puppy is around four months old, but it’s okay to begin earlier as long as you set the alarm for them.
When they’re finished, go outside and reward them with a treat. You can even throw a treat into the grass outside their outdoor potty area so they know it’s time for them to go!
Remember to thoroughly clean up any soiled areas after your puppy eliminates them, as this can make them want to return to those spots.
You can’t just wash the stains out with a soap-and-water solution; you need something stronger to completely remove any urine scent from the area.
Overview
Here’s a list of steps to help you with potty training your puppy:
- Establish a consistent routine: Take your puppy outside to the same spot regularly, such as after meals, naps, and playtime.
- Use positive reinforcement: Praise and reward your puppy with treats or verbal praise whenever they eliminate in the designated spot outdoors.
- Watch for signs: Look out for signs that indicate your puppy needs to go, like sniffing the ground or circling in one spot. Immediately take them outside when you notice these signs.
- Limit access indoors: Keep your puppy confined to a small area or use a crate when you cannot supervise them. This helps prevent accidents and teaches them to hold their bladder.
- Interrupt accidents calmly: If you catch your puppy having an accident indoors, calmly say “no” and immediately take them outside to finish eliminating.
- Clean up accidents properly: Thoroughly clean any indoor accidents with an enzymatic cleaner to remove the scent completely, as dogs are more likely to eliminate in areas that smell like urine or feces.
- Be patient and consistent: Potty training takes time and effort, so be patient with your puppy and stay consistent with the routine until they learn where to eliminate it.
Remember, every puppy is different, so adjust the training methods according to your pup’s progress and needs. Good luck!