Toilet Training
Toilet Training
When you first get your puppy you must decided on how you wish to train him or her, there are two ways that are most common, Paper training and outside training. If you are lucky enough to have someone around the house at all times then I would suggest outside training. Paper training is good, however a lot of people believe this is just encouraging the puppy to wee in the house, and they would prefer the pup to know from day one the place to ‘go’ is outside. Which I fully agree with. However if you do not have someone around the house to devote their full time to this, paper training may be the way for you.
A few pointers before you attempt either of these methods.
Pups needs to wee...
- After playtime
- After eating
- After drinking
- After sleeping
- After training
- After running around for a bit
- Pretty much anytime
Paper Training
Find a designated place you would prefer your pup too wee, you might have to spread the newspaper (or toilet pads if you’ve got a bit of money!) everywhere the pup may go for the first couple of days. After waking (this is the best time) place your puppy on the paper and encourage her to go with your command, We say “wee” but other prefer “be clean” or “toilet time” I’ll use wee for the purpose of this article. So place your pup on the pad and say “Wee” and give her some time to go, she will eventually and when she does give her a big pat on the head and a tasty treat. Repeat this process every day until she starts to wonder to that piece of paper by herself and weeing there accordingly. Please remember to reward her after every time. You can phase this out after she has mastered the scary garden.
Once she is taking herself off to the paper to wee you can start to move the paper towards your back door, take this one day at a time and do not rush her. If she misses move the paper back and start again. Eventually you can put the piece of paper on your back door step, then onto the grass, then remove the paper altogether. Keep praising her even when she is finally outside. And also really remember that pups don’t gain bladder control until they are 4 months of age, don’t expect her to have cracked it at 3 months of age. It probably wont be until she is about 6 months of age you could start leaving her alone for a couple of hours with no accidents.
House Training
This is pretty much the same as paper training however whenever your pups needs to go take her outside and stand with her until she has done so. Praise is always very important and you will have to stand outside – yes in all weather, with her for a good few months until she is comfortable with why she is weeing out there.
Again, expect re-lapses, pups when excited or busy will happily wee behind the sofa so they don’t have to take time out of their fun to go and sit outside in the cold. Recognising the signs are very difficult as first, but you do start to understand, for instance a common signal is to sniff the ground whilst walking in circles another may be to wonder off into another room alone. Like I said, you’ll pick these up eventually, but toilet training is no easy ride!
Written by Nats