Teaching Puppy to Potty Outside
We recently adopted a puppy from a shelter, she was about 4 1/2 to 5 months when she came home with us, and was not potty trained. |
| Phoenix, our Pointer-mix |
1. Confine puppy when you cannot supervise.
Kennel train your puppy so that she is happy to lay on a blanket or dog bed and chew on a stuffed Kong while you are busy doing other things. Puppies are much less likely to soil in their sleeping space (provided they are not confined for longer than they can hold it), so this sets you up to be able to take her right outside as soon as you open the kennel door and she will likely do her business outdoors.You can also use an X-pen, or baby-gate puppy into a bathroom (make sure towels, razors, toilet paper, etc. are out of reach) to make for easy cleaning if she does have an accident. A moment of distraction is all it takes for a puppy to sneak away and make use of the carpet, so it's always best to confine before you get focused on something else. You can also tie a leash to your belt and keep puppy within your eyesight at all times, just be sure you are aware of your movements and how they are affecting puppy.
Keep your eyes peeled for signals that your puppy needs to go. Some behaviours are:
- Sniffing for a spot
- Circling
- Puppy seems unsettled and is pacing
2. Go outside with your puppy.
Yes, even if it's -50 and snowing, put on your boots and parka and mittens and take your treats with you. This way you know puppy has done her "business" and you can reward her on the spot for it. If you wait at the door or watch her through the window and give her a treat when she returns, congratulations, you are teaching your dog to come in from the yard when called - which is great - but you are not reinforcing her for going potty outside. Puppies have very short attention spans and you need to get a delicious morsel into her mouth as soon as she has completed the act.If you're lucky and you're potty training when the weather is nice, wander around the back yard and ignore your puppy. Let her sniff and explore and play, but don't interact with her and just keep an eye on her. Eventually she will need to go, then you can walk over telling her what a good dog she is, and give her something delicious. Once she has done her business, then you can further reinforce her by playing and interacting with her. If you are taking puppy out on leash - which is a good idea to do even if you have a fenced yard, because you want puppy to learn to go when on leash - don't end the walk as soon as puppy has finished all her business. This will teach puppy that the fun (walking, sniffing, exploring) ends when she goes potty, so she will try to hold out longer to ensure the walk lasts. Stay in the yard while puppy is on leash and wait for her to do her business, then use the walk as part of the reward for going potty outside.
3. Make frequent trips outside
Young puppies have small bodies and cannot hold it for long. When confined, puppies generally can hold it for 3-4 hours (depending on their age, breed, size, health, and individual differences). However, when puppies are active they can go as frequently as every 30-45 minutes!
Puppies most commonly need to go:
- After being physically active (after playing or anything exciting has happened)
- Shortly after eating (I mean shortly - as in minutes or even seconds!)
- Immediately after waking from sleep and after having been confined
- Shortly after drinking a large amount of water
4. Prevent mistakes, don't punish them
It will not help your dog learn to rub her nose in it, to hit or scold your puppy, or to punish her for soiling in the house. This is especially true if you did not catch her in the act. Puppies have short memories and will not know why they are being punished, they will think they are being punished for whatever they were doing in that moment, which could be happily greeting you at the door. Punishing puppy if you do catch her in the act may cause her to be afraid to potty in front of you (even when outside), causing further difficulty with housetraining.If you missed it entirely, just clean it up using an enzymatic cleaner and review your supervision plan, ensuring you have puppy in your sight at all times. If you catch her in the act, scoop her up and get her outside as quickly as possible. If she finishes potty outside, giver her a very tasty treat and tell her what a good girl she is, showing her that she gets rewarded for going outside and not in the house.
It's best to get puppy in the habit of going outside and to avoid mistakes as much as possible. Once puppy starts going potty in the house it is much harder to break her of the habit (though still possible!). The above protocol works with dogs of any age, but keep in mind that puppies and adult dogs learn differently and both their bodies and brains are very different developmentally. Also a previously housetrained dog who regresses can benefit from going back to fundamentals until she is back on track.
*If a previously housetrained dog suddenly starts having accidents and you can't think of a reason for this, please make a trip to your veterinarian for a check-up as this could be a medical issue.
If you are struggling with a difficult housetraining situation, or are new puppy-owners and would like assistance potty-training your new pup, please contact our Certified Professional Trainer, Jillian to set up a consult. Details on our rates and service area can be found on our website, and details about Jillian's qualifications and training philosophy can be found at Pawsitivecare.ca/about-the-owner
Enjoy your adorable new puppy, or new furry friend, and happy training!
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Great topic Jillian. Puppies are still just babies and yes, we do have to get up in the wee hours of the morning to take them outside.
ReplyDeleteThanks Janet! Yes, it's difficult to remember they are just babies and don't know the difference between grass and carpet until we teach them :)
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