Female Dogs and Potty Training

Potty-training a female puppy should begin as soon as you bring her home for the first time. Puppies are not born with the understanding that they should eliminate in specific places and not in others, which means you must exercise patience coupled with positive reinforcement in order to get this idea across. Potty-training a female puppy does not have to be difficult, but it does require patience and understanding, especially in the beginning of the process.

  1. Function

    • Puppies are not born knowing when or where to eliminate. While they are nursing, their mother is responsible for keeping them clean, and it is not until they begin to wean that they have to take care of it themselves. No puppy is automatically potty-trained, and it takes positive reinforcement, patience, and work in order to get her to eliminate the way that you'd prefer. Keep in mind that there are different potty-training routines and regimens; you have to find the right one that works for both you and your dog.

    Types

    • There are different ways that you can train a female dog to eliminate, depending on your living situation. If you have a dog door with open access to a fenced yard, you can train her to simply go outside and eliminate when she needs to. On the other hand, you may need to teach her how to let you know when she needs to go, or you may need to crate-train her so that she does not eliminate when no one is home to let her outside. Choose the right potty-training regimen for your situation and make sure to give her ample time to adjust to it.

    Time Frame

    • It can take several weeks for a puppy to learn the proper potty training habit. It is vitally important that you exercise patience during this time. An older dog or a previously outdoor-only dog may take longer to learn the proper potty-training behavior, especially if she is not used to being indoors where there are "no elimination" rules. Continue to use positive reinforcement when she eliminates properly until she picks the habit up for good.

    Considerations

    • Before you create a potty-training regimen for your female dog, you should observe her natural ritual. Every dog, even as a puppy, has a natural way that they prefer to do things. Watch how she eliminates and then take note of specific rituals such as sniffing the ground or circling a specific area before going. These are vital clues that will help you determine when your dog has to eliminate so that you can help her get outside in time.

    Warning

    • Do not punish your dog for eliminating in the house during the potty-training process. Not only do accidents happen, but if she is still learning, she is likely to make mistakes. The potty-training process should only involve positive reinforcement when she eliminates properly. If she eliminates in the house, try to catch it immediately and take her outside so that she connects eliminating with being outside, but do not punish her.