Best Dog Potty

One of the most important tasks on every new dog owner’s to do list is housetraining their puppy. If done consistently and correctly, it should only take about two weeks to housebreak a pup. If a dog has already formed bad habits, retraining can take six weeks or more.

To ensure successful housebreaking, you need to be prepared to train your puppy the moment he comes home, and more importantly, you have to be committed to the training schedule.

Before You Begin

Have your vet give your new puppy a complete checkup as soon as possible. This will inform you if your pet has any health issues that can make house training more difficult, such as urinary tract infection, intestinal upset, and intestinal parasites.

Your puppy’s designated bathroom area can be general, e.g. outside the house, or specific, e.g. in a certain corner of the yard. You need to have selected a particular bathroom area before you begin training; otherwise, you cannot teach your dog what is acceptable and what is not.

Your attitude is crucial in housetraining your pup. If he makes a mistake, tell him “no” but do not punish him too harshly. You want to let your puppy know that you are unhappy, but you do not want him to see you as a source of pain. When your pet does well, pat and praise him to let him know that you are pleased. Your puppy will want to do things that make you happy, so use affection as a reward, and a firm “no” to let him know if something is wrong. Housetraining can be a basis for other areas of training.

Scheduling

Create a schedule and adhere to it. If you cannot do so, then neither can your puppy. Schedule your pet’s waking up time and bed time. A young puppy will take plenty of naps throughout the day and will have to be taken outside after each nap.

In two to three days, most dogs will be able to “hold it in” for eight hours during the night. Your daytime schedule has to be somewhat flexible though. Pay attention to your puppy, and you will learn when he needs a nap. At the same time, your pet will eventually learn the schedule you’ve established.

In addition, don’t allow your dog to free feed until he has been housetrained, and avoid giving him foods or snacks that can cause an upset stomach.

Supervising

By keeping an eye on your pet, you can avoid accidents. When he stops playing and starts to look around for a good spot, you need to take him out. If he starts to pee or poop, firmly say “no” then take him out to his bathroom area. Do not chase or yell at your puppy.

Have your puppy near you when you’re relaxing so he doesn’t wander off and have an accident. Give him some toys to play with, teaching him that it can be fun just being with you.

If you can’t supervise your pet for a period of time, place him in a confined area with newspapers. Fill him with snacks before you leave, and do not leave food and water with him. If you are going to be away for more than eight hours, it is ideal to have someone else take care of your puppy, so that he can have a drink and relieve himself.

Going to the Bathroom

Take your dog on leash to his bathroom area. Do not distract or praise your pet while he is looking for the right spot. If he does not pee or poop after five minutes, take him back inside the house and try again after half an hour.

As your puppy relieves himself, praise him calmly. When he’s finish, praise him with more enthusiasm.

Remember your puppy’s routine. Some dogs will do their business two or three times per outing in the morning, but only two times per outing in the evening. Urination is usually followed by defecation, though other canines do the opposite.

In Case of Accidents

If you catch your puppy in the middle of an accident, firmly say “no,” but don’t yell. Take him outside to his bathroom area. If your pet does his business there, praise him.

Clean the mess inside with a deodorizing cleanser. If your pup smells his own scent in the accident area, he will continue to relieve himself there. You can also hide the scent with one or two drops of vanilla extract.

You may have read or heard several tips on how to potty train a puppy, but what if you have an older dog who still hasn’t perfected dog potty training and who thinks your whole living room is a dog litter box? Well, the best thing to do is to let your older dog go through the same techniques that you would use with a puppy.  You may have to be more firm and yet patient with your older dog, because he may not welcome the idea of forming new habits.

Whether you are house breaking a puppy or training an older dog, consistency is the key.  You should not expect results if you keep changing the rules, or if you, yourself can’t keep the training schedule for potty training.  If you think you will have a hard time keeping the schedule, perhaps it will do you and your dog more good if you will hire a special dog trainer who can help you train your dog.

Most dog owners find that using crates as a dog potty training tool can teach their dogs to go outside when they feel they have to go. Dogs will not pee nor dirty the places where they live, so this is one way of letting your dog know that he should go outside the house to relieve himself.  For older dogs that were never in crates when they were puppies, putting them in one may be a surprise to them, and they may consider the crate more of a punishment rather than a training tool.

In such cases, it will be easier to use a Porch Potty to train your dog to go to a specific area when he feels he has to relieve himself.  The Porch Potty is made of artificial grass which can be easily cleaned by connecting it to a water source.  It has a self-cleaning mechanism, which makes it easy to clean and maintain.  Once your dog gets used to the idea of using a Porch Potty, reward him every time he uses it.  This could be in the form of a hug, sweet words, or food.

You can make dog potty training a lot easier if you follow a routine which your dog could get used to.  Never scold your dog when accidents happen.  This will cause him to be anxious, and he may start showing signs of anxiety by putting his nose on his pee or poop.  Whenever he visits his Porch Potty dog litter box or goes outside to relieve himself, praise him for doing a good job and then give him a treat, like a hug or a toy or even food.

Older dogs may be harder to train than puppies, so you would have to be more considerate towards your dog.  You can make dog potty training enjoyable for your older dog by showering him a lot of love and affection as he goes through the learning process.

I recently bought a lovely beagle puppy – Bella is the cutest little dog. When I take her for walks people always stop and smile. She is affectionate and well behaved – that is, until it is potty time. I live in an apartment, and stopping Bella from making her mess wherever she liked was a nightmare. I read books, visited websites and asked for friends’ advice. None of the methods I tried helped much. I even tried an old fashioned dog litter box, but it was so messy.

Then I tried Porch Potty. For the first 2 days I placed the unit next to my front door. I dipped a piece of newspaper into some of her urine and left it in the Porch Potty. Then I sat back and waited. I was very happy when she seemed to instinctively go to the Porch Potty to do her business. She continued using it for her dog potty the next day too. I congratulated her each time so that she knew I approved.

Then I left the apartment door open and put the new dog grass litter box just outside. Sure enough when she next needed to go, she followed the Porch Potty outside. I was amazed how smoothly things were going. The best was yet to come, I closed the door later that night and Bella went and waited at the closed door. She sniffed the floor as dogs do before they need the toilet, and gave me her puppy dog eyes look.

Bella wanted me to open the door. I did, and she went straight to the porch potty to relieve herself. This dog potty is the best thing I have ever bought. I wish I’d bought it months earlier. It is so easy to use and it cleans itself really well. I highly recommend any new puppy owners to get this amazing dog litter box. It makes life so much easier and cleaner.