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17
uTIPS & TRICKS
Puppies have small bladders and generally have
no instinct or ability to 'hold on' and delay going
to the toilet. They will need to go to the toilet
frequently and they need to be taught where
and when is appropriate. This takes training!
Here are some tips to help you through the
puppy toilet training stage.
ü
Know how often they should go. An estimate
for calculating how often your puppy needs to
go to the toilet is their age in months equalling
how many hours they can go between toileting
(ie. an 8 week old puppy needs to go every 2
hours). They also will typically need to do a poo
about 20 minutes after eating and will want to
urinate after napping, resting, playing or when
coming out of confinement. Taking them outside
frequently will help avoid accidents.
ü
Designate one area in the yard as the toilet
spot and take them to this place to do their
business. This helps you in the clean up process
and prevents the brown urine patches that are
occasionally seen from going all over the lawn.
ü
Know the signs that they need to go to the
toilet. Behaviour such as whining, circling and
sniffing the ground are good indicators that
they may need to go to the toilet.
ü
Keep your puppy in eye sight at all times;
either on a lead, confined in a crate or in a
playpen. This will avoid hidden accidents but
also allows you to see the signs that it is time
to go outside.
ü
Use commands such as "toilet", "go now",
"wee wee", or whatever works for you to have
them associate a word with going to the toilet.
ü
Use treats or rewards and praise them after
going to the toilet as this will motivate them to
continue doing it.
ü
If you do not have easy access to outside
areas for toileting use a designated area, covered
with puppy pads or newspaper as the toileting
area. Follow all the same steps but instead of
going outside take them to the designated area.
ü
Never reprimand or punish the puppy for
accidents and never rub their nose in it. Just
clean it up and move on. If you catch them in
the act say NO sternly and then take them to
their designated toileting spot.
ü
Be prepared for accidents. As a puppy
(and even an adult) there are sure to be a few
accidents or surprises left for you to clean up so
ensure you have what you need on hand. Clean
up accidents with a good enzymatic stain and
odour remover, like Urine Off or POOWEE Stain
& Odour Remover. These products are necessary
because if the dog can still smell urine in a place
they will seek it out to go toilet there again.
Toilet training your puppy might be frustrating
and time consuming, but they will soon get
the hang of it and will ultimately make life
a lot easier for you.
If you ever notice that your puppy is having
difficulty passing urine or faces, seems to be in
pain while toileting, or is going more often than
expected, please contact your vet for advice to
rule out any medical issues.
[puppy
toilet
training]
