When you take on a new puppy, you’re also taking on plenty of responsibility and there’s a lot you’ll both need to learn if you want to live happily for the rest of your time together.
One of your most important tasks will be to toilet train your puppy, and for obvious reasons it’s crucial that you get it right. You’ll need to put quite a bit of time into it, but it should go without saying that it will be more than worth the effort!
So, if you’re wondering about the best way to toilet train a puppy, here are our top puppy toilet training tips.
Establish routines
It’s important that you establish routines as early as possible so that your puppy knows where to go and when he can expect to go.
- Pick times – the best times to take your puppy out to go to the loo are first thing in the morning, after a meal, after playtime or other activity, before bedtime and before and after you go out and leave him on his own. If about 45 minutes pass without any of the above happening, take him out again to be on the safe side. A dog’s bladder doesn’t reach full size for about a year, so puppies need quite a few more toilet breaks than older dogs.
- Pick a location – if you have a garden with a suitable place for your puppy to use, encourage him to use it. If you’re using pads or paper overnight, placing soiled paper in your chosen location will help him associate that location with going to the loo. If he tries to use the wrong location, gently interrupt and encourage him to the right one.
- Supervise (and be patient) – don’t just open the back door and hope for the best. It may take a while before your puppy associates going outside with going to the loo. Stay outside but don’t play with him – it will only distract him from the main business – just let him run around and have a good sniff. If nothing happens after about 10 minutes, take him back inside, give him another 10 or 15 minutes (while looking out for telltale signs that he might now be ready to go – of which more shortly), then try again. When he does go, don’t hurry him back inside, give him a few more minutes outside first.
- Reward him when he gets it right – when your puppy goes in the right place, reward him with a fuss and some treats. Successful puppy toilet training – like all other dog training – relies on reinforcing good behaviour.
- Establish a verbal cue – dogs quickly learn to associate words with activities, whether it’s going for a walk, sitting, staying or going to the loo. Use the word ‘toilet’ every time they go and they’ll soon put the two together, making the process considerably quicker and easier.
Know when your puppy needs to go
It will probably take a bit of time before your puppy knows when he can expect to be let out to go to the loo, so from the very start you should try and keep an eye out for signs that he’s ready. Common signs include:
- Fidgeting or general restlessness
- Circling and squatting
- Sniffing the floor
- Going to the door
Expect accidents and know how to deal with them
Inevitably, accidents will happen in the first few months, especially if he gets overexcited. The important thing is never to punish him either while it’s happening or after the event – not only will it frighten him, but he might also try to avoid going to the loo in front of you in the future. If someone tries to tell you that rubbing his nose in it will stop him doing it again, just ignore them.
Clean the mess up using biological washing powder and warm water – the goal is to completely remove any smell so that your puppy doesn’t learn to associate that spot with going to the loo.
How long does it take to toilet train a puppy?
If all goes well, your puppy should be fully toilet trained in four to six months. With some puppies – and this is just as likely to be down to things like his size, his ability to learn and his previous living conditions as it is you doing something wrong – it can take as long as a year, so patience and determination to succeed are a must.
For over 50 years, Green Lane Farm Boarding Kennels has been providing a welcoming home for dogs of all ages when their owners need to be away, whether that’s for a fortnight holiday or you just need doggy day care while you’re at work.
Call us now to book your best friend in for a stay. We’re easily accessible for those living in and around Chessington and Kingston in Surrey.
