Tips for Potty Training Dogs

Dogs are among the most popular pets due to the companionship and love they provide their owners. While there are many perks to owning a dog, potty training one is sometimes a difficult task. Different dogs respond better to different methods of training, and before a system is mastered, accidents may happen in the house. Dog owners can take advantage of these puppy potting training tips to avoid costly damage to their homes.

  1. Pads

    • Before teaching their dogs to go outside to relieve themselves, many pet owners first teach them to go on small pads instead. Potty training pads are created to attract dogs, and they can help puppies gain structure in their daily routine.

    Tools

    • Special tools, such as clickers, can be used to signify that a dog has done something correctly. Clickers allow puppy owners to make a sound if their pet relieves itself in the right or wrong place. As long as the click has the same meaning, the dog will notice the pattern and try to please its owner. Rewards are also always important in teaching dogs to use the outdoors as their restroom. Make sure that the puppy is given a treat or play time when it has done the right thing.

    Avoiding Accidents

    • To avoid accidents before a puppy is fully potty trained, dog owners should make sure to take their pets outside periodically. If the dog relieves itself outside, it should then be given a reward for doing so. The more often this routine is practiced, the more often the dog will head outside to relieve itself. Puppies will even begin standing beside the door when they want to go outside. Accidents at night can be prevented by keeping a puppy in a small kennel. The kennel should be fairly constraining, because dogs sometimes use half of a kennel that is too large as a restroom. If a dog is in a confined space to sleep, it will not want to relieve itself in its bed.

    Words and Signals

    • Puppies can be potty trained using both words and hand signals. If the same words and signals represent the same results each time, the puppy will come to learn what they mean. When one specific word or signal is used, head outside and make sure the puppy takes care of business. Keep this pattern consistent and a dog will catch on and head to the door on command.