How do I toilet train my domestic dog?

Lady sat on the sofa while puppy walks towards camera

Toilet training your puppy should be quite a simple procedure, every bit long every bit you brand the fourth dimension and investment to get into a practiced routine.

Initially, yous will have to build your routine around your puppy's needs, and these are reliably anticipated when they are very immature.

You may find it useful to keep a record of when your puppy eats sleeps, urinates and defecates. A simple diary listing will practise. Repeat cue words like 'wee wees' and 'poo poos' or 'be decorated' and 'be clean' while the puppy is actually urinating or defecating. Employ different words for each action so that you lot volition be able to prompt the puppy subsequently on.

When should I take my puppy outside?

Puppies need to urinate immediately after waking upwardly, so you lot demand to be there to have your puppy straight into the garden without any delay.

Eating its repast stimulates its digestive system, and puppies normally urinate inside fifteen minutes of eating, and defecate within one-half an hour of eating (although this might vary slightly with each individual).

Puppies have very poor bladder control, and need to urinate at to the lowest degree every hr or 2. They tin urinate spontaneously when they get excited, and then take your puppy out frequently if it has been active, playing or exploring.

Rewards based preparation

Ever become with your puppy into the garden so you are there to reward and attach the cue words to the successful actions. Fortunately, puppies are creatures of addiction, so as long as you lot introduce the garden to your puppy as its toilet area early on, y'all should exist able to avoid virtually of the common pitfalls.

Common puppy toilet training errors

Unfortunately there are many reasons why 'toilet grooming' might not go as smoothly as it could, so make sure you do not brand any of the following mistakes:

  • Over-feeding
  • Feeding an unsuitable diet or giving a variety of foods
  • Not feeding at regular times
  • Feeding at the wrong times (which could cause overnight defecation)
  • Punishing the puppy for its indoor accidents (which can make it scared of toileting in front of you - even outside)
  • Feeding salty foods (e.yard. stock from cubes) which makes them potable more than
  • Using ammonia-based cleaning compounds (which smell similar to urine)
  • Expecting the puppy to tell you when it needs to go out; this is unrealistic, so it is better to take them out at regular intervals
  • Leaving the back door open for the puppy to come up and go as information technology pleases (a puppy volition think that the garden is an take chances playground, rather than a toilet area. Likewise, what is a puppy meant to do when the atmospheric condition gets cold, and it is faced with a closed back door?)
  • Leaving the puppy on its own too long, so that it is forced to get indoors (which sets a bad precedent, or even a habit of going indoors)
  • Mistakenly associating the words 'proficient girl' or 'good boy' when they toilet, as opposed to the specific cue words. Guess what could happen the side by side time you praise your canis familiaris?
  • Access to rugs or carpeting (which are overnice and absorbent - just like grass)
  • Laziness on your part, resulting in more wees indoors than outdoors
  • Leaving the puppy alone in the garden, so you are non at that place to reward them for going outdoors. How are they supposed to acquire that going outdoors it the preferred option, if you are not there to bear witness your approving?
  • Submissive or excited urination on greeting (if this occurs, take your puppy outside earlier you lot greet it and tone downward your greeting and then it is less heady or overwhelming)
  • It is unfair to expect your puppy to go correct through the dark when it is very young
  • Sleeping the puppy in a crate or puppy pen tin can help with firm grooming but you lot should let it out in the garden to relieve itself during the dark

How to teach your puppy to toilet out on a walk

Many owners announced disappointed that their young puppy will not toilet when out on a walk, yet relieves itself the 2d it gets dorsum home. This is because the puppy has been taught to toilet just at home (hopefully in its garden), and being creatures of habit, they ofttimes wait until they have returned dwelling house before evacuating their bladder and/or bowels.

To intermission this habit, you volition have to get upward very early 1 morning (when you have enough of time), and get your puppy out on a walk before it has had its forenoon wee. Y'all should non bring it home until information technology has been forced to go out of desperation. If nonetheless, you are unsuccessful, and your puppy has non toileted, then take it immediately into the garden on your return, or y'all gamble it relieving itself indoors.

Please annotation: there are many dissimilar ways to train your domestic dog. This is but i method of education. If you are always in doubt, delight seek professional advice.

For more information and communication, you can find preparation classes with The Kennel Club Good Denizen Dog Training scheme, browse our full list of The Kennel Gild Accredited Instructors orfind a domestic dog training order nigh you.