Puppy Club Fact Sheets
Top Tips for Toilet Training
Introduction
Dogs naturally choose to go to the toilet on a porous surface. Unfortunately this not only includes grass but also carpets and cushions. Our job is to teach the puppy to discriminate between places that are suitable and those that aren't. Remember a puppy that messes on the carpet is not being deliberately naughty, just acting normally.
The Easiest Way!
The simplest way to toilet train your puppy is to use a puppy crate. These are often misunderstood. If introduced properly, puppies soon learn to love their crate, seeing it as a comfortable den and somewhere to retreat to.
Confining your puppy to a crate when it is unsupervised decreases the chances of house training mistakes. Puppies naturally refrain from soiling their den so will not go to the toilet. Remember - do not leave them for too long or they will be forced to perform despite their best intentions, this will be distressing for you and especially your puppy.
Crates are also useful for providing a safe puppy-proof area away from electric wires and breakable ornaments, allowing you to leave the pup unsupervised. This also teaches the puppy that there are times they cannot access their humans and they have to amuse themselves.
Top tips for toilet training:
- Rewards are essential for all training, so you must reward your puppy when he performs in the correct place.
- Aim to get as close to zero mistakes as possible. Take your puppy out at least every 2 hours and as often as possible through the night.
- Always take out 30 minutes after eating, sleeping, playing or drinking.
- Do not leave your puppy unsupervised unless you know he has just been to the toilet. At all other times, watch the puppy closely for signs of needing the toilet e.g. sniffing around and squatting. Take outside as soon as you see these.
- If you catch the puppy in the act scoop him up and put him outside.
- DO NOT punish your puppy. Punishment too long (2 secs!) after the act will be meaningless. Punishment during the act will convince the puppy not to go to the toilet in front of you.
- Ignore the puppy while you are waiting for him to perform, save games and walks until afterwards. This encourages the puppy to go quickly.
- Always take your puppy to the same spot every time so the familiar sights and smells remind him of what he is meant to be doing.
- By saying a chosen phrase or word when the puppy starts to perform, you can train him to go to the toilet on command.
GOOD LUCK!
