Puppies and Potty Training After Eating

Significance

• Because your puppy's bladder and intestines are not fully grown, a full stomach presses on the bladder and intestines and causes the puppy's need to eliminate soon after eating. According to the Humane Society of the United States, placing your puppy on a regular feeding schedule (it recommends three to four times a day) makes it "more likely that he'll eliminate at consistent times as well, and that makes housetraining easier for both of you." It also recommends picking up his water bowl approximately two and a half hours before bedtime to reduce his need to urinate in the middle of the night.

Considerations

• You will need to supervise your puppy at all times in the house until she is fully potty trained. If you aren't training, holding or playing with her, you can keep her tethered to a nearby piece of furniture or use baby gates to confine her so that she can't wander off to do her business. Particularly after eating, puppies indicate when they need to eliminate by turning in circles, sniffing the floor and arching the back when walking, says FamilyEducation.com. When you notice those behaviors, pick up your puppy and take her outside to her favorite potty place.

Types

• The type of house training you choose for your puppy depends on your circumstances and personal preference.

  Some people place newspapers or pads in a particular spot. When the puppy indicates that he needs to go, the owner will pick him up, place him on the pad and offer praise when he does his business. The owner gradually moves the pad toward the door and then eventually outside, so the puppy learns to eliminate outside the home. The veterinarians at PetEducation.com say that the problem with this method is that it encourages the puppy to urinate and defecate inside the home for a time and house training may take longer to accomplish. They recommend crate or cage training your puppy instead.

  In crate training, the puppy is placed inside a crate or cage just big enough for his bed, as dogs typically don't soil where they will have to lie in the waste. They learn to control their bowels and bladder more quickly and for a longer time period. They also learn to sleep through the night in their own bed without the need to urinate or defecate until morning. This method works well if you need to be out of the house; however, crating your puppy right after a meal will make it hard on her to control her bladder and bowels.

Time Frame

• Most puppies can only maintain control for a few hours at a time, usually one hour per month of life, so leaving a 4-month-old puppy in a crate or confining him in a room more than four to five hours is not recommended. Leaving him access to food and/or water will exacerbate the house training problem. The Humane Society suggests that if you need to be away from your puppy for long periods, train him to use a specific place indoors on paper or pads or "arrange for someone, such as a responsible neighbor or professional pet sitter, to take him outside to eliminate." It also advises that if you have to be away from home for long stretches of time, getting a puppy may not be good for you or the puppy; consider an older dog that is already house trained.

Warning

• Puppies will make mistakes inside your home even during house training, but hitting him with a rolled-up newspaper or rubbing his nose in the mess will only turn him into a frightened, possibly aggressive dog, warns PetEducation.com. Instead, it is recommended to say "no" in a loud but non-aggressive voice when you see puppy start the "pre-potty" behaviors, pick her up and take her outside immediately, offering praise when she defecates or urinates. According to The Dumb Friends League, if you have consistently followed all training procedures and your puppy is still going inside the house after several months, there may be other causes for this behavior, including medical problems, submissive urination, territorial marking, fear and/or separation anxiety.