Potty Training

Potty training begins before your puppy ever goes home, but it is important to have a thorough understanding so you can pick up where we leave off. 

When puppies go to their new homes, new environments and surfaces can require a renewed effort to achieve desired results quickly and effectively.

Potty Scheduling: Establishing a routine is one of the best ways to help a puppy develop expectations around how long to hold it before it is time to go again. We have found that a puppy can hold it for about an hour per month it is old, though as they grow this becomes 2 hours per month. 

Food and Water Scheduling: It is equally important to feed and provide water to your puppy at routine times so that you as the owner will no when it is time for your puppy to go again. On that note, it is not a good idea to let your puppy fill up on water right before bedtime as this sets them up for failure overnight.

Puppy Pads: Puppy pads with a waterproof tray underneath are wonderful tools to use inside to get your puppy going in a desired spot. It is a good idea to keep a puppy pad outside too in the desired area to get your puppy going outdoors. The puppy pad can later be removed once the puppy is going outside.

Crate Training / Enclosure Training: We use folding puppy gate enclosures instead of crates so that the area can be slowly increased as the puppy grows. We don’t like crates as puppies feel too confined in them and this can lead to undesired crying at night.

Positive Reinforcement: High value treats are a great way to reward your puppy for going potty in a desired location. A firm no is useful if a puppy goes in a desired area but it is important to not scare the puppy while it is continuing to learn.