Stotfold Puppy and Dog Training Club

Toilet Training

 

 

How to!:

 

• Remember to stay with your puppy when you take him or her out to the toilet, so that you can promptly reward them when they go. If you allow your puppy free access to the garden, it takes much longer to teach them where is appropriate to wee and poo.

 

• Don't feed your puppy after 7 pm.

 

• Always take your puppy out to the toilet before you go to bed, so they have the opportunity to relieve themselves before the long night time sleep. They may probably still need to relieve themselves overnight as puppies, but as they mature gradually they will become dry through the night.

 

• When you get up in the morning, take your puppy straight outside, as puppies tend to need to toilet very, very soon after they wake up!

 

• Take your puppy outside after all meals, all play times and after all naps, and all times you return home after going out, or when visitors enter the house, as these are all key times when your puppy is likely to need to toilet.

 

• When your puppy goes to the toilet, you can introduce a word them so that they soon pick up on a command to ‘go to the toilet’, which can prove very useful to have, especially for use just before you go out, or visit the vets etc…. it can also be a discreet word that only you and your dog understand, instead of broadcasting ‘go wee, wee’s’ on a quiet evening in the middle of a campsite say!

 

Example of command words for toileting:

 

Example 1:

If  ‘Out’ = Go outside

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Then ‘Outside’ = go outside and toilet

 

Example 2:

'Go Quickly'

 

• After your pup has been to the toilet, reward them with a treat and praise them, so that they learn to understand going to the toilet in your desired place, is a great thing and you're really pleased with them. Try not to praise and reward them though until they have actually finished going or they may not fully empty themselves and then may need to finish off their wee when they come back inside!

 

• NEVER EVER yell, scold, and/or 'rub their noses in it' if your puppy has an accident in the house, as all they will learn is that going to the toilet in your presence is wrong, and they will get punished for it. You will either end up with a dog who won't go to the toilet on their walk (as their with you!) or one that will try and go to the toilet in the home when you are not around, or may even hide it behind the sofa!

 

• Don't give your pup free access to the whole house, limit where they can go so you can clean up easily should accidents happen in these early days of toilet training.

 

• On the subject of cleaning up, be aware that many proprietary cleaners contain traces of ammonia, which is also present in urine, so when using those cleaners you may think you’re giving a thorough clean of the area but you are actually leaving an ammonia scent which will encourage your puppy to pee there more! A better option is to clean with a biological washing powder and hot water solution on the area, followed by a cold water rinse.

 

• When out and about carrying a handful of poo bags along with a small pack of baby wipes can be jolly useful for a post accident clean up and floor wipe when proper cleaning chemicals may not be to hand.

 

• And remember if you are out on a walk, don't end the walk when your puppy goes to the toilet, we don't want our pups to think that this is when the fun stuff ends.

The more successes your puppy has, and the more they are rewarded, the more confident they’ll be and the more likely they will be to get the hang of toilet training quickly.