Potty Training Tips

When choosing the right potty training method, it’s important to consider all of your options. If you have a home with a large backyard or an easily accessible space, training your dog to go outside is usually the best option. Besides having space to roam around in, large outdoor areas appeal to your dog’s natural instincts and offer a more comfortable setting for him to do his business. However, if you’re like some pet owners and lack the space, you have to get creative with your approach. Most apartment or small yard pet owners tend to try the paper training method to get their small dog to eliminate without causing damage to their living spaces. But there’s a few problems that present themselves during paper training.

Paper-trained dogs are often difficult to house train because indoor toilet areas give the dogs instant relief. The motivation to hold a half-filled bladder is absent. The obvious solution is to remove the paper, but this rarely happens without a struggle. Rather than going to the door, dogs seek out alternative indoor locations such as a floor mat or your living room carpet. The key is to get your dog to understand that he needs to hold it and do it in a proper place. Paper training makes that a lot harder, so people with smaller spaces need a better solution. That’s why we have the Porch Potty.

The Porch Potty is the perfect solution for pets who need a place to do their business without the risk of damaging your living space. Simply place it on your porch, patio, or terrace, and let your dog do his thing. With constant supervision, the right training, and proper meal scheduling, potty training your pup should be a breeze.

When your puppy is out and about, doing what he does best, it’s important to keep track of what he’s up to. Just like a small child, your puppy can get into just about anything in a matter of seconds. To keep him safe, out of trouble, and on track with his potty training, make time to keep a watchful eye. Bathroom mishaps and puppy mischief can happen at any time. Be sure that you’re prepared.

One of the best ways you can keep your pup on track with his potty training is to observe and learn the signs that he’s “gotta go!” Those signs include sudden restlessness, intense sniffing in one area, circling, pacing, or suddenly standing still. If you happen to be too late, be sure to give your dog a sharp “No!” and then take him outside or to your Porch Potty as a reminder of where he’s supposed to do his business.

Children can be great fun for your new puppy, especially if they love to play. But besides having fun with your new pet, it’s also important that you teach your child to be responsible and help to care for your pooch. Here are a few dog rules to teach them. Not only will these rules make it easier for your family to adapt to and care for your new puppy, but it can also help your puppy feel like a welcome addition to the family.

Puppy Love

1. Feeding Time

   Teach your children early on that the puppy needs to be fed and given fresh water each day. Also explain how puppies need special food to grow big and strong and how certain foods, like people food, can actually be bad for the puppy and that the child should stick to only the puppy’s food during feeding time.

2. Be Nice

   Young children have a tendency to try to be rough with animals, so educate them on how to be nice and play well with your puppy without hurting him.

3. Exercise

   Show your child the importance of exercise by encouraging healthy and active play with the puppy (under parental supervision, of course).

4. Chewing

   Remind your child that little pups love to chew and need to be given special toys. Not to mention, tell your child to keep things like toys and shoes away from the puppy in case they get gnawed at.

5. Potty Time

   Keep a schedule of bathroom breaks for your dog. Remind your child that if the new dog doesn’t keep to the scheduled potty breaks that he may find a place in the house. Be sure that you’re sticking to the schedule at all times!

When you bring home a new puppy, you want to be sure that potty training is as fast, easy, and painless as possible. By keeping in mind these three essentials, you can be sure that your pup transitions into proper elimination without hassle or too much difficulty:

Crate

If used properly, their crate, or den, can become their favorite spot in the house and it helps control toileting because dogs will not use their crates as a bathroom. However, you have to pay attention to the size of your dog’s crate. Make sure it’s large enough for your dog to stand, turn around, and lay down in comfortably but not so large that they can use a corner as a bathroom. Where you put the crate is equally as important. Dogs are very social and want to be part of the family activity. The crate should be in a bright area of the home where people are.

Diet

Your puppy’s diet is also very important in housebreaking your dog. A good premium food (no fillers, additives) will provide the nutrients your growing dog needs while ensuring their toileting isn’t compromised. Dry kibble is best, but you can use a little wet food every now and then. Be sure to feed your dog at the same time every day to control potty habits.

You

Be supportive, active, and encouraging with your pup. This is a new and exciting time for the both of you. Use potty training best practices and soon the transition will be over!

If you’re like many pet owners, you don’t really have a huge backyard to indulge your pet’s need to roam…or to do his business. When it comes time to take your dog outside, where can you go without having to worry about leaving the house and your plans? Sidewalks can be okay, sure, but what about when it comes time to clean it up? It just seems like there’s never a break for dog owners who don’t have access to a yard. To solve this issue and to make your life a lot easier, PorchPotty.com has the solution.

Porch Potty Standard

The Porch Potty Standard offers the convenience that dog owners need when they’re lacking on space. Using a unique design that employs synthetic grass and drainage systems for easy cleaning, the Porch Potty Standard is the perfect fit for the dog owner that doesn’t have the time or the space to worry about puppy doing his business. In addition to offering a space for your dog to eliminate, the Porch Potty is also incredibly easy on the owner. It’s easy, compact, and makes the most of small spaces. Not to mention, it’s incredibly durable and easy to clean. Simply set it up on your porch, terrace, or yard for an easier, better solution to your puppy potty problem.

Bringing home a new puppy can be incredibly exciting, but remember that those little puppy paws need to be trained as soon as they come through your door. Too often, new pet owners forget about proper training until after the excitement of a new pooch has worn off. The worst thing you can for you pup is to wait on training. By encouraging positive behaviors and discouraging negative ones, you’re setting an early example for how your puppy can fit into your daily life. Ensure that you’re giving the right impressions early on to prevent further difficulties in training or behavior. This is especially crucial when it comes to potty training.

Training your puppy to do his business can be a challenging task, seeing that most pet owners suffer from the frustration of frequent accidents. There’s no real quick fix to this, but you can take positive measures to prevent them. Keep on top of your potty training and be sure to take your dog out to his elimination area frequently. Don’t ever rub his nose in an accident. Simply clean it up and keep going. Puppies have a hard time differentiating between positive and negative reactions and are in constant need of attention. Show you pup it’s wrong by ignoring him when he does it, giving him a sharp “no”, taking him outside, then telling him where he should go.

Most new puppy owners face a difficult decision when it comes to potty training their pups. Should praise or punishment be the technique of choice for reinforcing positive behavior?

According to a study at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, researchers confirmed that praise works for new puppies learning potty training, while aversive training does not. Veterinary behaviorists surveyed 140 dog owners about their different training methods and their effectiveness as part of the study.

Of those who rubbed their dogs’ noses in the house-soiled areas, not one person reported that the technique was beneficial. In fact, 89% stated that it had no effect, and 11% said it actually made matters worse. With these type of findings, any pet owner can see that praise is clearly the more successful route to go in.

Start to incorporate positive reinforcement into your house training program, and talk with your dog trainer or veterinarian about other reward-based techniques to successfully train your dog to do his business out of doors.

When a new puppy comes home, you can only imagine how overwhelmed he or she can feel. New sights, smells, sounds, and feelings are now surrounding that little canine, overloading the senses and causing so much excitement. And then it happens. Your puppy eliminates on the floor.

Puppy excitement is a common happening in many homes with new pets, however, few owners realize that the associated potty troubles that come along with it are all very normal. Your puppy’s body, much like a human child, is prone to accidental elimination in environments of high stress or excitement. Not to mention, any kind of food or water goes through your pup in under a half hour.

Should your puppy have an accident after being excited, don’t discipline. The puppy cannot control it at this time. Simply ignore it, clean it up, and continue on as if nothing happened. When you treat your pup calmly concerning his potty training habits, he should grow out of spontaneous elimination within just a few months, usually once the dog reaches the ages between 4 and 7 months

When training your puppy, it’s important to give your pup a sense of security and direction. Setting aside a specific area for your dog to do his business will not only make potty training easier, but also faster than if you had tried to use multiple potty places.

To set aside an appropriate place for elimination, take a look at your home. Do you have enough space to accommodate your puppy indoors and outdoors? What areas can you use according to your neighborhood guidelines? Do you have a yard that’s fenced in or is safe for your puppy to use? All of these questions are things you must ask yourself when potty training your pup.

For indoor security during colder months or for spaces that lack porches, consider paper training as a safe bet. Set aside a specific area in your home with newspaper and instruct your dog to do his business. If you happen to have a bit more space or if you have porch access, you can always try the Porch Potty as an option. This compact potty training area is easy, convenient and perfect for your puppy.

When potty training your pup, it’s important to remember that accidents happen.

Much like a small child, your puppy is going to have accidents because of sheer biology. Within 15 to 20 minutes of taking in food or water, their bodies tend to want to eliminate. Sometimes they just can’t make it in time or they are still learning how to tell you when they need to go. Whatever the reason, it’s still important to remember that any new puppy is going to have accidents. However, it’s the way you deal with the accidents that’s so important.

If your pup does have an incident, quietly clean it up in a matter-of-fact way. Yelling or punishing the puppy for making an accident may not be the best policy, as it may result in negative behavior. Being supportive and understanding isn’t the right option always either, as it may reinforce that having an accident is “okay.” Instead, ignore your dog as you do it and walk away with patience. It’s going to take a little time.