Our top tips for toilet training a puppy are:
- Praise your puppy immediately after they go where you want them to, with food and cuddles (this one is the key to toilet training your puppy!).
- Never use punishment.
- Take your puppy outside within 15 minutes of eating and drinking and when he/she wakes from a nap.
- Take your puppy outside hourly.
- Watch for the “signs” of them looking for somewhere to go, such as sniffing, circling, or whining.
- Confine your puppy to a small area, or close doors to rooms where you don’t want the puppy to go.
- Ignore your puppy while they are searching for the “right spot” in the backyard, then have a play for a few minutes after they go.
- Overall be patient and consistent!
Crate Training
Crate training is also useful when you are toilet training your puppy; this involves placing your puppy in a crate that should be big enough that they can stand in and travel in, and comfy enough for use during the day when you are home and at night. Instinctively your puppy will not toilet where they sleep; providing you allow time to take them outside to toilet.
Mistakes Happen
All puppies will learn to be house trained at different ages and at a different pace. To clean up urine mistakes inside, it is recommended to use a pheromone blocker, so the stain and the smell is removed and the puppy is not likely to use the same spot again. Bleach or lemon unfortunately does not work.