So you’re wondering “How to potty Train a puppy to go outside?” because you have a wonderful furry newborn.
Training your puppy to go potty outside is truly about you having the disciple, patience, and developing a routine for your new puppy. Training anything is a process and that process in many ways also applies to you. A puppy is a big responsibility and finding the time during those first few weeks is critical to a long positive relationship. I have two amazing dogs, Duke and Sandy. If you met them you likely say to me how did you find such smart dogs? Or how do they understand you so well? This is because I spent the time when they absolutely needed me to create good behaviors and to work to break bad behaviors. Duke is now 12 years old and you could almost have a conversation with him.
The Process of How to Potty Train a puppy to go Outside
Teaching this new furry friend is about developing a language together and also about routine. The first vet I took Duke to said “Training is about the two species human and Canine building a language together.”
It is important to remember at this stage they are a blank slate and in truth, all they understand is eating, sleeping, and being loved. To them, they just go when they need to go. However, depending on how they were cared for just prior to you they generally won’t potty where they sleep. As well as in general at this age, they will want to potty almost immediately following getting up.
So let’s start with consistency and reinforcement. I would suggest at first developing one or two spots in the yard that you intend for them to go. Typically not right at the entry of the home. Then get some healthy dog training treats (smaller is better) because it is a reward to reinforce positives. I also highly suggest developing these phrases: Good behavior, bad behavior rather than just good and bad. This is as much for you as them as it reinforces to you that it is a behavior. If they develop a negative routine it is because that developed because a positive one was not developed.
How to get your Puppy to Potty Outside
My dog Sandy was so special and she is a bit stubborn. She currently is a 90-pound lab who thinks she is a lap dog but when she was a tiny little 7-week-old puppy. The best advice I ever received was “to train a puppy to go potty do it immediately upon them waking up”. I suggest at first quickly carrying them out to the designated spot you created to avoid spillage on the walk outside. Remember they are a puppy and their bladder is weak. So by rushing them outside quickly and placing them in say a 4×4 area for the first few days they will pee and poo. So consistency is key here and the first three weeks matter the most. You set your alarm before they wake up and you wake them up to take them immediately out front.
Again, I suggest carrying them to designate the location. Step around them to more or less pen them into a confined location. Introduce the words “Go Potty” at this point and when they go reinforce it with “Good Potty”. Be aware that dogs take a lot from your sound or the tone of the sound. So overreact in a positive upbeat praising way. You can follow that up with a petting with the praise. I can not stress consistency and routine are critical at this stage. I would suggest no less than at least 20 or 30 times before moving to the next stage.
The second stage would be exiting the home or apartment. Carry them to the exit door to the outside. Place them on all fours at the exit door threshold and motion them to follow you to the spot. If you are in an apartment building or have a long walkway to the location then start at a point no further than 10 to 15 feet from the designated spot. So the moment you set them down you say Follow, follow, come, come for me, and Sandy I said “this way”. This can be a great way to introduce language. Now once they move even a few steps let them smell the dog training treat and pull it in the direction you wish them to go followed by your choice of forwarding command such as “this way”. Once they potty you give them the treat reward.
If you have had your furry friend for more than a few days and you are still able to carry them this is still a very viable start. It may take a bit longer and more patience and persistence because they learned a routine due to lack of routine.
So over the years, I have discovered that many dog training treats are expensive and many are even not healthy. Yet the worst part is they have either an odd odor to the dog or very little odor. This may be why so many trainers use tiny pieces of cheese. I think making your own dog treats or using things like liverwurst for example can provide a nice alternative. Some will suggest a very limited amount of bacon But bacon is also salty, fatty, processed, and just generally not good for your dog. In truth, most people use bigger portions for their furry friend than you need for a reward. It is always easier to start out with tiny pieces of any treatment or tiny treats and provide more for positive reinforcement.
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