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Joyful Golden Retrievers
Potty Training Methods
The method of potty training that we use is focused on preventing “accidents” instead of waiting for accidents to happen. The goal is to make it easy for the puppy to do the right thing in the first place. Puppies are not born knowing that our homes are not the appropriate place to potty, it is up to us to teach them. Training in this way is faster and more effective than punishing the dog for mistakes that they don't understand are mistakes yet.
YOU play the most important part in the success or failure of this method. You must be patient, determined and consistent for it to work. If you already own an adult dog with house training problems, you can use this method to start fresh just as you would with a puppy.
Before Your Puppy Goes Home
The potty training process has began long before you even bring your puppy home! We start with litter box training starting around 3 weeks of age. Litter box training them at a young age helps them to recognize the difference between their potty area and their bed/play area. It is amazing how quickly they pick this up. Dogs and puppies naturally like to be kept clean and like to sleep in a clean area.
Once they hit 5-6 weeks of age, they are introduced to outside! Our outside contained area has grass, rocks and play equipment. We anticipate potty time when they wake up from the night or a nap, after they eat and also in-between play time. By the time you bring your puppy home at 8 weeks of age, they have already been used to going outside to potty. We have personally seen how this process makes a HUGE difference in the potty training success once they go into their new homes. Some families will even claim their puppy was already fully potty trained and I absolutely think that is due to encouraging them from a young age to make the decision of where and when to potty.
Taking Your Puppy Home
The first few weeks of owning a puppy are some of the hardest and most important. Spending extra time and effort now will pay off in a big way. Don't blame the puppy if you don't put in the work and consistency to teach them! Your home is a brand new environment for them to learn and they will be on a completely new routine in your home that they have to get used to. It is important to keep in mind that dogs & puppies do best when kept to a routine schedule.
When you bring your puppy home, they will have to potty:
- as soon as they wake up in the morning or after a nap
- within 1/2 hour after eating
- before they go to sleep or are put into their crate
- every 2-3 hours during the night
- every couple hours during the day if they do not nap
Don't wait for the dog to “tell” you that it has to go out. Just assume that it does and take it outside.
Tips For Success
Get into a Routine
- First, try to get into a consistent schedule and routine for feeding times, nap/rest times in the crate, play times, training times, etc. as this will help in the process. Your puppy will get used to the routine and know what to expect and it can help you manage your own time and stay on track.
- I do not recommend any sort of litter box or potty pads when you bring your puppy home. Start right away with the idea that their only option for a potty area is outside. Like mentioned above, your puppy has already been taking themselves to potty outside exclusively for the past 2-3 weeks.
Watch for cues
- They key to potty training is to constantly be watching your puppy and keep an eye out for cue's that your puppy has to potty.
- A puppy might signal they need to potty by: sniffing excessively, circling in one spot, scratching at the door, squatting, whining or barking, becoming restless, walking towards a specific area like a corner, licking their genitals, or suddenly changing their activity level after playtime or eating; if you see any of these signs, take them outside immediately to their designated potty spot.
- Even if you are not sure if the behavior is a true cue, you really can't take your puppy outside too much when you first bring them home. You will soon begin to get familiar with their cues and recognize what their body language is telling you.
Tips For Success
No free roaming unsupervised (crate train)
- Do not allow your puppy to roam your home freely without constant supervision. When I say constant supervision, I mean literally having eyes on your puppy at all times. If you cannot physically watch your puppy, put them into their crate to take a nap, chew on a bone, or play with a toy. Make sure you have taken your puppy outside to potty before putting them into their crate.
- When taking your puppy out of their crate the first week or so, I would suggest to either carry them or make sure that you are being very encouraging for them to follow you outside. They may have to really go or get distracted and go in your house on the way out otherwise.
Reward for wanted behavior;
- Give your puppy lots of encouragement when do their business outside. You may start using the command "go potty" so they can begin to associate and recognize what that means.
Be mindful of food and water intake;
- Feed the puppy supper at least a couple hours before you plan to put it to bed. I recommend having scheduled feeding times 2-3 times a day, no free feeding.
- Pick up any water that is available to the puppy at least a couple hours before bed. I recommend keeping the water in a place where you can monitor when it is drinking. Keep in mind, the more they drink the more they pee. Try to offer water often and keep them from drinking too large of amounts at one time. If they drink a large amount at one time, they will be peeing very frequently. Offer water with their food to keep them from feeling dehydrated from their dry food.
Tips For Success
Encourage "potty time" not "play time"
- When taking our puppy out with the intent to potty try to refrain from engaging in play right away and let it focus on going potty, especially during the middle of night potty times.
- If the puppy is being slow, walk around the yard encouraging it to follow you. Walking tends to get things moving, so to speak!
- If the puppy seems like its only interested in playing and not going potty, take it back inside, watch it VERY closely for potty cues and try again outside in 10-15 minutes.
Nightime Potty
- Always take the puppy outside before bed time to potty. If the puppy does not potty and it has been a good while from the last time, bring inside, put it into its crate, and try again in a few minutes.
- Have the puppy's crate in a place where you can hear if it becomes restless or cries. If it cries during the night, it probably has to go out. Carry the puppy outside or encourage it to follow you (see prior note on this) to potty.
- Once the puppy has done its business, put it back in the crate with a minimum of cuddling. If you play with him, he might decide he doesn't want to go back to sleep! Puppies usually need potty breaks every 2-3 hours the first few weeks. By around 12-16 weeks of age, the puppy should be able to sleep through the night (6-8 hours) completely.
Keep your yard clean
- Keep your puppies yard picked up and free of old stools. Many dogs choose one common area to use as a bathroom. If left to become filthy, they may refuse to use it and do their business in the house instead!
- Picking up stools helps you keep tabs on your dog's health as well. Stools should be formed. Wet, lose stools can be an indication of parasites, health problems, stress or digestive upset.
