Toilet Training a Puppy

The Most Important part of toilet training is being consistent

Toilet training is one task that is easier to teach over a short period of intensive training than it is over a longer period. Opportunity for going outside to toilet is the most important part of this training time schedule. The more often a dog eliminates outside, the more he can be rewarded for it and the quicker he learns.

Start by taking your puppy out at two-hour periods for three days. Then move to three-hour periods and up to four by the second week, continue at four-hour breaks until your puppy is toilet trained. Always watch your puppy for eliminating indoors as if practiced this can become normal. The extra effort now will pay off. If puppy does go indoors, you must take responsibility for that. Never punish the act because your puppy will not learn anything other than fear of you. Take puppy outside immediately and wait with him. Clean the area with an odour destroyer to prevent the urge to return to the same area for your puppy.

Always take the puppy outside for the toilet after he has:

• Eaten and drank.
• Woken up.
• Has been playing.
• Has been in the crate.
• After training.
• After becoming excited.
• Always take your puppy out before bed
Each of the above activities will lead to toileting.

When you go outside follow the three steps below for toilet training.

1. Take your puppy to the same spot outside as the smell will encourage elimination.
2. Wait with your puppy and use a cue word then immediately reward the act.
3. Return indoors together.

Cue words can be anything of you decide, it is important to remember to always say it while the pup is doing its business. Once it has learnt this word it should be able to go to the toilet on cue. Being consistent, patient and attentive will get the results you want in the quickest time. If you loose track of training and become inconsistent the result could mean months of trying to get your dog going to the toilet outside again.

Moving your pup from pads inside to outside.

Initially you want to move the pad from where it is to closer to the door, your pup should know that the pad is the right spot to do its business and actively search for it. After a day or two of it being by the door, move it to just outside the door. If the weather permits, keep the door open as much as possible so the pup can access it quite freely. After another day or two, close the door and keep a watchful eye on your pup, if you notice him heading for the door where the pad is, let him out to it. This should become common practice for a week until you can remove the pad altogether.

Throughout this exercise do not forget to reward and praise the pup for seeking and using the pad. It is important that he learns that this is where you are happy with him toileting. You also need to implement a cue word as stated above.

Migrating from indoor to outdoor should be relatively straight forward, some dogs may take longer than others, you need to be patient and consistent and your dog will get there.