Know Before They Go: Your Guide to Potty Training

Know Before They Go: Your Guide to Potty Training

Potty training can be a stressful time for both you and your pup, but it doesn’t have to be! If you’re new to owning a puppy, you might have a lot of questions regarding the potty training process and the best ways to get your puppy to respond to the training. Happy Pup Manor’s owner and lead trainer, Gabby, put together some tips to help make your potty training experience as pleasurable as possible. Check them out below!

When to potty train

When a puppy comes to Happy Pup Manor, we start potty training right away, even as young as 8 weeks.

Picking how to potty

The first step in your potty training process is deciding if you want to start training indoors or outdoors. This decision will influence the essentials items needed when potty training.

Green Grass

If you are training your pup indoors, you will want to purchase a bulk amount of potty pads. Potty pads are highly absorbent and leak-proof, meaning everything will stay where it belongs. They come in a variety of sizes, so finding some that work for your pup and the area you will be training them in shouldn’t be hard.

An alternative to potty pads is the Bark Potty. Coined as a dog park in a box, a Bark Potty is a potty pad made of natural bark from trees. This pad neutralizes odor better than traditional potty pads and is good to use for up to a month. Plus, the Bark Potty comes with a built-in roll of poop bags, perfect for cleaning up solid messes!

How to Potty Train

Potty training revolves around 3 simple rules:

1. Pottying outside earns playtime inside
2. Pottying inside ends the party
3. When we potty outside, we always go out the same door and potty in the same spot

Setting A Schedule

Puppy’s bladder grows and matures as they do, so you have to keep expectations for how long they can hold their pee in line with how old they are.

• If puppy is outside of their crate: Expect to take them out every 30-45 minutes at 8 weeks old. Increase about 15 minutes each week
• Puppies can be in their crate 1 hour per month of age during the day.
• Overnight: An 8-week-old puppy should be able to hold it for 6-8 hours.

Always take your pup out to potty after a meal and when they wake. These are peak times your puppy will need to go potty. Taking them out right before bedtime will also help minimize nighttime accidents when you’re first starting to potty train.

Setting a schedule for your puppy is vital to a successful training experience. Since puppies have immature bladders, include potty breaks throughout the day. Potty breaks can act as a great transition from playtime to nap time to mealtime.  Set a timer on your phone when puppy is out to make sure you are setting them up for success.

If your pup happens to have an accident on your carpet or rug, it is best to have a quality carpet cleaner on hand. The Rocco & Roxie Oxy Stain Remover is a fantastic option that helps to eliminate the urine odor that naturally draws puppies back to potty in the same place. If you have any rugs or mats that you would like to stay clean, put them away until the puppies are 6 months old. Puppies tend to pee on soft surfaces, so the pee does not splash back on themselves.

Creating a Reward System

Like most of us, puppies will respond the best when they receive positive reinforcement for their actions. Finding treats that your puppy loves and saving them specifically for potty training is a great way to get your pup eager to potty outside. Leave a packet of treats right by your door for easy access. Giving them special surprises such as a visit to the dog park or an extra-long walk are always excellent reinforcements when your puppy potties outside or goes a day without having an accident in the house.

Call Happy Pup Manor!

If you’re struggling with potty training your puppy, you can always call Happy Pup Manor! Our trainers will happily assist in the potty training process, as well as other manners and commands training. We offer a variety of program lengths, including 10 days, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 10 weeks. Having your pup in an extended training stay ensures they are getting the maximum benefits from the program. We also send go-home lessons with you so that you can maintain your pup’s progress! Call or fill out our online contact form today to discuss your pup with us! We can’t wait to meet your new puppy!