Potty Training
Alright, it’s time to talk about potty training. Every new dog owner has questions about potty training, so let’s talk about it. How exactly are you supposed to potty train your new dog?
I’ve broken the process down into six “easy” steps:
Get a dog
Watch them
Crate train them
Put them on a schedule
Praise them
Correct them.
Let’s break those steps down a little, shall we?
Step One: Get a dog
Oh yes, hysterical. But actually this is more of a serious step then you might think. When deciding on getting a dog, there are a lot of different questions to ask yourself. What is your lifestyle like? How much time will you be able to dedicate to training and taking care of your dog? Is the time you have now sustainable or will it change? What kind of dog do you want? How energetic? How trainable? Are you going to rescue or buy a puppy? Do you want a mutt or a purebred? Every single one of these questions are important to ask and will impact potty training (and all training). Think about your life looks like and the time and energy you personally will be able to devote to your dog, and get one that fits within that framework.
Where you choose to get your dog is also important. If you want to go to a breeder, are they reputible? Have they done anything to help your dog start potty training or are they allowing their pups to sleep in the same place they eliminate waste? Instinctually, dogs try to keep their sleeping place clean, but if they’ve already been taught that sleeping in waste is fine, breaking that habit will be much more difficult.
You need to do your homework before you bring a new dog home. Figure out what you’re looking for and what you’re personally prepared for. You can never plan for everything, but it’s good to have as much information as possible.
Step Two: Watch them
No, I’m serious. You have to watch them. If they slip out of sight and choose that moment to poop on your carpet, you cannot correct them for it two minutes later. You have to catch them in the act, otherwise they’ll have no idea why you’re upset. So when I say watch them, I mean constantly. If they are wandering around, your eyes need to be tracking their movements. They’ll eventually gain more trust, but for dogs, freedom is earned.
This will be your most annoying step. No one loves following their dog around 24/7, but if your dog sneaks away and pees in your house, it’s because they believe that they can get away with it. No matter how much we may love them, at the end of the day, dogs are dumb. Your dog isn’t being malicious when they eliminate on your floor. They honestly think that you don’t care as long as you can’t see them. You have to make them believe that you are always watching, and will always know.
Dogs will not understand a correction unless it comes within a second of the disobedient behavior. If you miss that window, your dog will have no idea why they’re in trouble. People who take their dog’s nose and smear it in their waste are not communicating what they’re upset about to their dog. Showing them the puddle of pee and spanking them on the butt does absolutely nothing. Your dog has no idea why they’re in trouble and that’s useless for both of you, not to mention unnecessarily cruel. What your dog needs are clear and precise boundaries, and boundaries can only be established if you watch them.
Step Three: Crate Train Them
“But crates are inhumane!” No. I promise you, they are not. Not to mention, that your dog is not a person, and does not react to things the way a person would react. This isn’t an excuse to be cruel, it’s a plea for you to take care of your dog in the way they need, not the way that would make you most comfortable.
When used ethically, crates are an amazing tool that keep you and your dog sane. Dogs are den animals, being in a cozy crate that they’ve been properly introduced to should feel safe and relaxing. It should be a place they can retreat to when things become too much in the house (whether that’s because of extra guests, children, other animals, or any other disruption in their day-to-day). A crate should be large enough for the dog to go into, turn around, and lay down in comfortably, if they’re too big then your dog will use the extra space as a toilet. If your dog is a puppy, get them a crate with a divider so they can grow into it.
Why are crates so important? Because nobody can reasonably be asked to watch their dog every second of the day. Even if you were determined to, eventually you’re going to need to sleep, and if the dog learns that peeing on the couch is fine if it’s done at 3 am, it’ll be an awfully annoying habit to break.
The crate gives you breathing room. As a general rule, dogs can hold their bladder for as many hours as months old they are. So if you have a four month old dog, they can stay in the crate for four hours, etc. Dogs try to keep their sleeping area clean, even little puppies. So using the crate is a great way to keep your sanity during an already stressful time.
*Please don’t misunderstand and think I’m giving you permission to lock your dog up for 90% of the day. Your pup will still need adequate mental and physical exercise in order to remain healthy, so get them out on a walk and make sure you’re playing with them, but if you need a break, don’t feel bad for letting them sleep in the crate.
Step Four: Put them on a schedule
Dogs thrive off routine. Feed them, take them on walks, and take them to go potty at the same time day to day. Dogs are excellent at picking up patterns, and the more predictable the pattern, the more comfortable they’ll be. Your dog will adjust and learn to relax during down time and get up in excitement when he knows its time to play.
Schedules can also help you predict when your dog will need to eliminate waste. If you give them food at the same time every day, you’ll figure out how much time goes by before they need to use the bathroom, which helps avoid accidents because you can just take them out at regular intervals.
Limiting water before bed will also help stop a puppy from needing to go out throughout the night. If water is removed at 5pm then you can make sure they’ve eliminated their water intake before bed at 10pm, which means no waking up because there simply won’t be anything to get rid of. Their bodies will adjust to the schedule and they’ll start increasing the amount of water they drink during the day in order to remain hydrated.
Step Five: Praise Them
I don’t work for free, your dog shouldn’t work for free. Take the time to show the dog how happy you are when they go to the bathroom outside. Give them rewards, tell them in a high pitched voice how much you love them. Your dog does not instincitvely understand why they should use the outdoors for their bathroom. Inside is easier, and it’s not like they’re gonna sleep in it. We have to teach them what we expect, because they’re not going to figure it out on their own. They can’t.
You wouldn’t want to work for a boss that’s always telling you what you’re doing wrong but never notices when you do something right. Dogs don’t understand “a little happy,” they understand “ecstatic” and “pissed.” So whenever they do what they’re supposed to, get crazy excited, put on your best high-voice, and tell them what an amazing dog they are.
Step Six: Correct Them
While you always want to start off primarily positive, but once the dog understands what you are trying to teach them (for example: go in the grass, not on my carpet) you can begin verbally correcting them for doing it wrong. This goes back to the need to be watching them all the time.
Correcting a dog means saying in a really deep voice, “Uh uh!” or “No!” or “Hey!” The word doesn’t really matter, the tone of voice matters. You want your dog to know you’re serious and they did something wrong. Dogs are black and white, they don’t understand “a little annoyed” they understand “absolutely furious,” but then the moment they go outside and finish their business it’s back to everything being sunshine and rainbows and praise them like they’re the best dog in the world (because they are).
These are the steps for how to correctly potty train, but every dog is different. You may find yourself taking a little from a step here, a little from a step there, and forming your own plan. Do whatever works for you, but if you find that something isn’t working right, come back to this guide and see if there’s something you missed.
For a dog, their freedom is earned. They don’t get to explore the house on their own until they’ve proven that they can be trusted not to destroy it. But the hardest part of all of this is that in the end, the responsibility is on you. If your dog is struggling, or not understanding what you’re asking, then there’s been a breakdown in communication and you need to fix it. Don’t blame your dog, look at what you’re doing and figure out what you need to do differently. Good luck!