As far as dog training goes, one of the first things – and most important – you should learn is how to potty train a puppy. Or even an adult dog if you have adopted a dog that has never been potty trained. If you have just gotten your first puppy or dog, you will definitely want to start house training him right away, and know that you are doing it the right way. Even if you are an experienced dog owner, it is still useful to get a some tips to make sure you are doing everything correctly.
One important thing to remember when learning how to potty train a dog is that there isn’t much difference between an adult dog and a puppy. Sometimes puppies are easier to train and sometimes they aren’t. It really depends on the dog. Either way it’s not going to be easy or fast, I can assure you that.
One advantage to adopting is that you will find most adult dogs have already been potty trained, but sometimes they haven’t. And even if they have, you might find they will have accidents when they first arrive in a new home because of all the excitement or stress of coming to a new environment. So, in that case, you may use the same techniques that you would use for a new puppy.
Before you get started you should decide how you will reward your puppy (or adult dog) when he does something good. To avoid any confusion, it is best to choose a reward that you can continue using throughout all of the training (not just the potty training).
Most people use food/treats as a reward, but I caution you not to do that, especially when it comes to potty training. You will have a lot more success if the puppy is eating on a strict schedule. Giving them treats at other times will only make it harder to predict when your dog will need to go out. It’s best to use a certain toy or just a lot of positive praise and petting as the reward. Skip the treats for now.
Now, you need to start monitoring when your dog usually needs to poop or pee. It will vary, especially when they are young, but the most common times are just after waking up, after eating or drinking, during exercise or play time, and when he is excited or stressed. You should be able to get a good idea of his schedule if you continue watch closely and keep it in the back of your mind.
With a lot of dogs, if you watch them enough, you will start to notice certain things they do right before they are about to make a mess all over your floor. They might head for a particular spot, or they might circle around sniffing the floor, or something else. Just keep an eye out and you will see.
So, whenever you think your dog is likely to need to go outside, you can take him. But don’t just let him run free. Keep him on a leash and lead him to the spot where you want him to use as his permanent bathroom. This could be a place he has picked out himself in the past but it doesn’t necessarily have to be. Then, wait there with him.
If he doesn’t go then you should take him straight back into the house. Don’t reward him by letting him play in the yard or do anything “fun” if he hasn’t done what you wanted.
If he does go potty then you should immediately reward him with lots of praise, petting and some play time. Don’t wait until you are back in the house for the reward, or let any time pass between the good deed and the reward — It must be done right away in order for him to understand that it relates to his good potty training behavior.
Keep doing that until he begins to start going to the door by himself to let you know he needs out. It may take a while so have a lot of patience. He will probably even have a few more accidents after you think he is potty trained, so don’t be surprised by that. Eventually he will be fully trained and not make a mess inside anymore. Be consistent, stay positive, and just keep at it until it’s done.
Also, there is one VERY important thing to remember when you are learning how to potty train a puppy or adult dog. It is that you should NEVER punish him for any accidents in the house. Doing that will get you nowhere with your training and will likely just leave you with a fearful dog who doesn’t listen.
Dogs do not learn by punishment like humans can, they only learn by reward and routine. Hitting, yelling, rubbing their nose in it, or being aggressive in any other way only makes it harder to train a dog/puppy to do anything. Trust me, you need to keep the negativity to yourself.
Focus on rewarding the right behavior and just calmly deal with the bad behavior as if it never happened. That is how to properly potty train a dog or puppy. Good luck and have fun!