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THE EXPERT'S TIPS
ON POTTY TRAINING
Potty Training can
be frustrating for any dog owner. Although it can be frustrating,
it is relatively easy to fix the problem. Here is a step-by-step
guide on how to fix your potty training problems:
STEP ONE: Designate a potty spot. Pick an area where your new pup
will be allowed to go to the bathroom. This spot should always be
outside of your house. Avoid the use of Puppy Pads. Puppy Pads are
confusing for
puppies. We do not want to give your puppy the option to go in the
house.
STEP TWO: Set your puppy up for success! Puppies have small
bladders and they cannot hold it in very long.
Below is a chart of approximately how many potty breaks your dog
needs during the course of a day.
Age Potty Breaks
6-14 weeks 8-10
14-20 weeks 6-8
20-30 weeks 4 -6
30 weeks and up 3-4
You NEED to take your dog out to your specified potty area this many
times a day.
STEP THREE: Capture the behavior. When your new pup goes to the
bathroom, give him/her a command such as "Go Potty". Once your dog
goes to the bathroom, reward your pup with treats or other
reinforcement
such as praise or touch. Over time, you effectively capture the
potty behavior and your pup will actually go to the bathroom on
command! This won't happen overnight, so be patient....
Now, just because we reinforce good behavior, that doesn't mean we
get rid of bad behavior....
STEP FOUR: Correcting the bad behavior. YOU CAN ONLY CORRECT BAD
BEHAVIOR IF YOU CATCH YOUR DOG IN THE ACT. If your dog goes to the
bathroom when you are not there, and later in the
day you punish him/her, your pup simply won't understand why you are
punishing him/her. However, if you do catch your puppy going to
the bathroom in the house, don't panic. A simple, loud "NO" is
sufficient correction for most dogs. Dogs can pause while they are
going to the bathroom if your "NO" is effective enough. Once they
stop, you need to grab your pup (not pick him up, but preferably
throw a leash on) and say "OUTSIDE". Bring your pup to the
designated area and then give him/her the proper command for going
outside. If your
pup goes, than reinforce it again with food, praise, or touch.
STEP FIVE: (IF NECESSARY) Crate Training. If you are a busy
professional and have to leave your pup at home alone, a crate may
be a good option to speed up your potty training process. However,
a crate is not an excuse to leave your puppy alone for extended
periods of time. You have to give your dog opportunities to go
outside to relieve themselves. Having your dog sleep in a crate
while you are away is
not
cruel. If trained properly, your dog will see his/her crate as a
den and safe place. Dogs do not like going to the bathroom where
they sleep. This is why crate training speeds up the process of
potty training. It can also stop bad behaviors
such as chewing the furniture and getting into places puppies
shouldn't be getting into.
If you are thinking about crate training your pup, I highly
recommend hiring us to teach you the proper use and training of a
crate. If introduced incorrectly, a crate can become extremely
negative for a dog, and you will
have a very tough time getting your dog back in the crate once you
take it out.
STEP SIX: Patience. The number one question people have is how
long will potty training take. There is no answer to this question.
Every dog is different. Some dogs get it in a few days, other dogs
get it in a few
weeks. As long as you follow the above steps, your dog will become
potty trained. WE PROMISE YOU.
If you have any
further questions regarding Potty Training, or if you would like to
set up an appointment for how to crate train your dog please
email us
or call us at 619.850.5221
Good Luck!
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