The Best Puppy Potty Training Tips Using Pads

Potty training is a subject that causes some confusion with new puppy owners. Training a dog to stop doing something that comes naturally--going anywhere they happen to be--and teaching them to understand there are certain places to go isn't nearly as complicated as some puppy owners make it. Using a puppy's natural needs and habits as incentives and triggers makes short work of potty training.

  1. Schedules

    • Take your puppy to the potty pad location every time he wakes up, after playing with him and after he eats or drinks. Along with those regular potty break signals, take your puppy to his pad on a regular basis throughout the day. Rule of thumb is that a puppy can hold his urine one hour for every month of age. A two-month-old puppy must have a potty break every two hours at minimum along with the above episodes that trigger a desire to eliminate.

    Commands

    • The moment your puppy eliminates on the pad give her a key phrase that she can associate with going potty. Use something like "hurry up" or "go potty," but make sure you only say it when she is going, not before, so she learns to associate the words with the actions.

    Scents

    • Odor attracts puppies to where they have gone potty previously. Use that to your advantage by putting a rag with urine scent on it from an accident clean up in the area you want your pet to go. Puppy pads come scented to attract a puppy to them for potty breaks.

    Crate

    • A crate is a helpful tool to help you maintain the schedule of potty breaks. During the day, when you cannot keep a constant eye on your puppy, keep her in the crate and take her to the potty pad on the schedule you arrange. At night, either set your alarm to wake up every two hours to take the puppy to her pad or design an area that has just enough room for the puppy to lay down, and also a place for a litter box with a potty pad inside so the puppy has someplace to go besides her bed to eliminate.

    Transitioning Outdoors

    • Potty pads work well with smaller dogs for a lifetime of use, but owners of larger breeds may want to transition to outdoor elimination as the puppy ages. Potty pads make it easy to train your dog to go outside. Once your puppy understands the concept of going to the pad to potty indoors, simply place one where you want him to eliminate outdoors and take him there on scheduled potty breaks.

    Accidents

    • Accidents happen even with the most diligent effort on your part. The odor of an indoor accident draws dogs back to the spot, so it is vital to clean that area and completely get rid of the smell. Urine soaks into rugs, permeates wood surfaces, and slides into cracks, or edges of tile. Simple household vinegar works wonders on urine smell. Clean the spot with mild soap and water, and then soak the area with vinegar. Normal feces aren't as bad as long as they are removed immediately. If they leave a stain, then make sure you clean and then deodorize the same as for urine accidents.