Buying a puppy brings a lot of fun and a life home. But it also requires a lot of responsibility. Without proper training, the dog does not know what is expected of him. So, the puppy should learn to listen to (Basic) commands, but you also have to make the puppy “potty-trained”. Dogs can be cleaned at any age, but puppies learn faster than adult dogs. So even though humans will be more lenient with a puppy, it is certainly important to make the puppies clean in time.
How to make puppies “potty-trained”?
With every action you do, you should think as the dog would think. When a puppy needs to do his business, he just does it where he stands. But then you get angry at home because he has done his needs. Soon the puppy thinks that he must stop his needs instead of doing nicely outside.
Therefore, you only correct at the moment he is doing his need. Best to get angry at it once, pick it up and put it outside. That way, he will make the link that he has to do his needs outside. Some people say you should rub his nose in it, but make sure the dog doesn’t think he has to eat this.
Punishment when he is busy
Punish him while he is doing his business in the house, but not when you find a puddle that may have been there for 30 minutes. A puppy then does not understand why you are getting angry because he cannot remember. Unless you can catch the puppy, punishment doesn’t help much.
An appropriate punishment is, for example, shouting NO to your dog. Then pick him up and put him outside. If he does his business outside, you reward him, of course. This can be done with a nice dog cookie or just being nice to the dog.
Age is important
Puppies become housebroken most easily. Therefore, the ideal age to housebreak a dog is around 8 weeks of age. Puppies of this age can never be imported because dogs from abroad are not allowed to cross the border before 15 weeks of age.
How long can he stop?
A puppy should go reasonably fast after that he has eaten. That’s why you can make a small walk with him after his meal. How long he can stop it right depends on the race and individual. But here is an estimation:
- A 4-month puppy may stop his need for about 5 hours
- One of 5 months can stop for 6 hours
- And a puppy of 7 months can wait about 8 hours before it should be outside for his need
8 tips to make a puppy “potty-trained”:
1. Make a schedule
Depending on the age, meals, activities, you make a schedule when he normally should go. Best to plan a walk after every meal for 10-20 minutes. Then he can do while his errands.
2. Choose a location
If you always place the puppy in the same location, after a while, it may be recognized as a “toilet”.
3. Focus on the business
Preferably leashed outside with the dog. This way you can lose it as reward and let playtime happen.
4. Appoint the deed
Always use the same sentence so link the dog a sentence like “Come, let’s go pee-pee” with it actually happen. So, the dog knows after a time that he needs to do his need.
5. Use a bench
Puppies don’t want to lie so close to their own needs, so a crate can be a good tool to teach a quick lesson. A small room won’t work – he can cowl in one corner and sleep in the other. During training, if the puppy still hasn’t done his business after 15 minutes, lock him in his crate for 15 minutes. If he does do anything then, it will be in the crate and the cleanup work will remain limited.
6. Keep the signals in view
Dogs rummage around, exactly as if he were looking for a suitable place. Pick it up and turn it outside. So, you learn him that the suitable place is outside.
7. Clean accidents
If he does inside the house, clean it as quickly as possible. Otherwise, the odor may linger. Please note, when you clean your house with bleach: The puppy cannot withstand that odor and this will stimulate them to pee inside to hide the odor.
8. Rolled-up newspaper
If the puppy still does in the house, it probably means you haven’t met his needs. Feel free to take a rolled-up newspaper and beat yourself on the head 🙂. Just like puppies, owners also have to learn. If the puppy continues to do wrong behavior, it might be wise to change the way it is taught.