I am routinely quizzed about the best way of implementing a toilet training area. Should it be located outdoors or inside? It's not as silly as it may sound.
Some folk live in apartments but still need to have a place for their puppies to relieve themselves. If you think about it, literally just about every cat owner possesses a cat litter tray in their house. Now I know that using a doggie toilet area indoors isn't ideal but many peoples' situations mean that this is the only method available. It's pretty obvious that this place must be well ventilated.
A bathroom is probably the best option because it will probably have a hard washable floor too. You can get dog litter (similar to the cat stuff but you need more of it!). Some people make use of regular newspaper but there might be an unpleasant side effect here. The most suitable stuff is unprinted newsprint paper that has similar absorbent qualities without the side effects. Why would you not use normal newspaper? Basically, the puppy tends to connect potty time with newspaper (any newspaper) and unfortunately can see every newspaper as a possible toilet (even though it has just come through the front door). It can be really embarrassing in someone else's house.
When you get the spot sorted out you're able to start teaching your puppy the significance of it}.
The best way is to get them to link going to that area with going to the toilet. This can be achieved by taking them to it whenever they show signs of wanting to go. Be on the lookout for circling or sniffing the ground, abruptly halting playing and then walking away, rotating around in circle with their backs arched and (distinct sign) sniffing at the scene of a previous mishap. Perhaps you may think you've cleaned it away however the pup will still be able to smell it and will try to use precisely the same place.
You then take them over to the doggy toilet and let them do what they do. You then praise them. Repeat this every time and they will soon understand that this is what you want. They'll not query the reason why, they'll just connect going in the right place with fuss. This needs to be done in a calm way as you don't want to get them too excited. Whenever they get too excited, they will get tense and then can't go. This obviously, defeats the point of the exercise. You need to therefore, retain a calm appearance to help your dog relax enough to relieve itself.
Time intervals will vary a lot according to the puppy's age. For instance, when aged up to say fourteen weeks, you could be looking at perhaps eight to ten breaks daily. This will likely drop down to about half of that when the puppy is aged about thirty weeks.
If they're young, they're not physically developed enough to hold themselves in for too long. For this reason they should be taken outside perhaps every two hours or so. You need to pay particular attention to the period after eating or drinking because they tend to be common "toilet times". Really though, they can only hold themselves for an hour or so for every month of age. Quite simply they'll not really last through the night.
It sounds odd but some puppy owners maintain a written record of when the puppy "goes". This gives them a greater idea of the puppy's natural bodily rhythms. The main items to note are eating, sleeping and going to the toilet. The owners find it simpler to work out the relationship between the events, which certainly makes sense. It may in addition, identify certain medical problems when the puppy starts to break with these standard times.
The next period is when your puppy senses the urge to go and understands that if they come to tell you (or go straight to the potty area) they get praise. Maybe they will bark, maybe they'll whine or simply scratch at the door. In time they will probably head straight for their potty. You're suddenly making big progress. Keep the praise going, even when there are a few accidents.
Should you shout at or scold the pup they will think that you're cross about them going to the toilet, instead of going in the wrong place. A simple detail but a world of difference. In closing, there are three stages. One, establish the zone. Two, get the puppy to associate visiting the zone with going to the toilet. Three, get them to associate wanting to go to the toilet with going to the area to carry it out.
Author Resource:-
Read more stories and personal experiences about puppy potty training at www.puppy-potty-training.org
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.natureezine.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
