Scheduling and Supervision are the most important components when you are potty training your dog. Feed your dog on a schedule (do not leave food down all day) and always keep an eye on them. You can keep a diary to track when your dog needs to potty. If you can’t watch them then put them in a crate. If your dog is older than 6 months and pottying more than 2-3 times an hour a vet check may be needed to check for uti or other problems.
There are two methods for training your puppy without potty pads.
These include:
-crate training
-frequent trips outdoors
They all can be successful if you follow a few basic tips, including:
-controlling the diet
-keep a consistent schedule; this pertains to trips outside, feeding and exercise
-provide regular exercise
-reinforce your puppy for “going” outside
Many people may not like the idea of confining their dogs in a crate but the fact is, dens are naturally appealing to your dog and crates make life easier. It’s a good idea to get your dog accustomed to one for many reasons, such as vet visits, travel, and safety. Dogs are den animals and will seek out a little place for security whether you provide one or not.
The principle behind using a crate for housetraining is that dogs don’t like a urine-soaked rug in their living spaces any more than you would. It’s important that the crate is the right size—just large enough for the dog to lie down, stand up, and turn around. If the dog is pottying in the crate, a smaller crate is normally needed. If the dog is pottying inside the crate and laying in it, a vet check may be needed. Another trick is to remove all bedding and feed them on the floor of the crate and removing food and water 2 hours before bed.
Puppy pads and paper training can be tricky because you’re reinforcing two different options for the puppy. In an ideal situation, pups would learn to hold it indoors and only eliminate outdoors. But there are some cases that make it impossible to get home several times a day, or you may have a tiny dog living where the winters are brutal.
A good guide is that dogs can control their bladders for the number of hours corresponding to their age in months, up to about nine months to a year. (although 10 to 12 hours is a long time to hold it) A 6-month-old pup can reasonably be expected to hold it for about 6 hours.
Monitor daily events and your puppy’s individual habits when setting up a schedule. You should expect to take the puppy out:
-First thing in the morning
-Last thing at night
-After playing/ anything exciting happened
-Right when you get home
-When visitors come in
-After spending time in a crate
-Upon waking up from a nap
-After chewing a toy or bone
-After eating
-After drinking
This could have you running for the pee pad or backyard a dozen times or more in a 24-hour period. If you work, make some kind of arrangement (bringing your pup to work, daycare or hiring a dog walker) to keep that schedule. The quicker you convey the idea that there is an approved place to potty and places that are off limits, the quicker you’ll be able to move past this.
Most young puppies can pee every 30 minutes so start by taking them out every 20-30 minutes to the area where you want them to potty and praising them when they do potty. After they are done, take them back inside and put them in their crate or watch them for 20 minutes/ until they act like they need to pee, and take them back out. You can slowly start to build up the time that your puppy is running in the house as they start to understand where its ok to potty at. Keep your puppy kenneled at night and it’s a good idea to keep a radio on to help them relax. Most puppies will get very excited in the morning when they hear you start to wake or hear your alarm go off, this can cause them to pee, make sure you let your puppy out as soon as you can once you get up and as late as you can at night to help them from peeing overnight. You have to watch your puppy carefully to learn their individual signals and rhythms. Some may be able to hold it longer than others. Some will have to go out every time they play or get excited.
Old methods of punishment, like rubbing a dog’s nose in her poop, aren’t going to do anything but make them hide when they poop inside. If your dog has an accident, just clean up the mess. A cleaner that kills odors is necessary. If possible, keep your dog on hard surface floors until it is 100% potty trained. If you catch the dog starting to squat to urinate or defecate, pick her up and immediately rush outside. If she does the job outdoors, give her praise. Remember that when it comes to housetraining, prevention is key.