Potty Training a Westie Puppy

Westie is the accepted nickname of the breed of terrier called the West Highland terrier. These dogs are friendly and furry with personalities many times larger than their tiny bodies. The bold nature of a Westie makes them more difficult to potty train than other dogs, but with some patience, devotion and a lot of love you can help your puppy get through the difficult stage. Potty training for dogs refers to teaching them to use a specific area to potty, just as a cat would use a litter box.

Things You'll Need

  • Disposable training pads
  • Gate
  • Blankets
  • Toys
  • Treats
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Instructions

    • 1

      Lay out a disposable, absorbent floor pad in the area you wish to designate as the potty area and place a gate around it. Put a blanket and some toys in the same area to make your dog comfortable, but place them as far from the pads as possible.

    • 2

      Lead your dog to the potty area and allow it to go inside. Do not close the gate until it feels safe being by itself.

    • 3

      Show the dog the pads and leave the dog in the area until it defecates or urinates on the pad. Stay nearby so you can see as soon as your dog has finished.

    • 4

      Give your puppy a treat as soon as you see it has relieved itself onto the pad, and dispose of the soiled pad. Let the dog out as soon as you've given it the treat.

    • 5

      Bring your dog to the potty area every 2 hours to allow it to potty. A young puppy will likely relieve itself at these intervals. It will also relieve itself after waking, playing,eating and drinking, so bring it to the potty often to avoid accidents. Give the dog a treat every time it successfully soils the pads and let the dog out of the gated area immediately soit learns what this area is for.

    • 6

      Remove the gates and blankets from around the potty in stages, until your dog is familiar with the potty without needing the gate to stay there.