| After getting your new puppy, there will be a short | | | | eating, drinking, exercising and soon after waking up. |
| period of adjustment. The aim is to minimize the | | | | You must take your puppy to its toileting area soon |
| pup's stress of having just left its mother and to help | | | | (within 10 minutes)after any of these activities. Most |
| it bond with its new family. Most puppies younger | | | | puppies need to toilet every 2-4 hours when awake. |
| than 3 to 4 months old will quickly bond with new | | | | As they get older they gain better control and the |
| people and pets, provided there are no unpleasant | | | | time between toileting increases. At about 6 months |
| experiences with them. This is the critical period in | | | | old, puppies can usually go throughout the night |
| which your puppy must be socialized with as many | | | | without toileting, however you still need to take the |
| new people and healthy pets as possible, so as to | | | | puppy out to toilet just before bedtime and again |
| ensure a sociable adult dog. | | | | first thing in the morning. |
| 1) Preventing Puppy House Breaking | | | | When puppy toilets in its potty area, you must lavish |
| When home, supervise your puppy all the time until it | | | | praise ("good dog") on it to positively reinforce the |
| has been taught what it can and cannot chew and | | | | desired behavior. Some people may give a small |
| where it can toilet (wee and or poo). A good way of | | | | edible treat for the same effect. |
| keeping the puppy in sight and preventing it | | | | When at home with the puppy indoors, it must be |
| wandering off, is to keep it on a long leash. | | | | supervised so that you can pick up on its pre toileting |
| Whenever the puppy cannot be supervised, then it | | | | behavior (circling, squatting, sniffing, whining and |
| needs to be housed in a secure place. This can be a | | | | sneaking off). If you catch the puppy starting to |
| small crate if it is for a short period or a puppy | | | | toilet in the house, then a quick short sharp verbal |
| proofed room or pen if the puppy is to be confined | | | | reprimand is all that is needed, do NOT hit the puppy. |
| for longer periods (greater than 1-2 hours). Provision | | | | Then take the puppy to its potty area to finish |
| should be made for water, food, safe chewable dog | | | | toileting and lavish praise when it does. By setting a |
| toys and shelter from the elements if the crate or | | | | regular routine, the puppy will soon learn to head for |
| pen is housed outdoors. It must not be used for | | | | the door when it wants to toilet. |
| punishment, but simply to keep the puppy safe and | | | | If the puppy has to left alone at home or overnight, |
| prevent it from wrecking the house by toileting and | | | | it must be allowed to toilet just beforehand. The |
| chewing in the house. Allow the puppy to exercise | | | | room it is confined in must not be carpeted to enable |
| and toilet before confinement. | | | | ease of cleaning if there is a mishap. At first the |
| 2) How to Train Puppy | | | | entire floor should be covered in old newspapers. |
| It is very important to try to avoid punishing new | | | | Most puppies will soon start to toilet furthest away |
| puppies, as this can lead to avoidance at a time when | | | | from their food, water and bedding, that should be |
| bonding with people is critical. This can be done by | | | | put to one-side. At this point you only need to cover |
| rather setting the puppy up for success by providing | | | | the area the pup is using to toilet on with newspaper. |
| adequate supervision or confinement as needed. | | | | The best and cheapest disinfectant to use if an |
| If a reprimand is warranted, a simple "NO" in a deep | | | | accident does occur off the newspaper, is ordinary |
| voice AT the time of the undesirable behavior. Dogs | | | | household bleach (4% sodium hypochlorite) that must |
| cannot associate punishment in the present moment | | | | be diluted at a ratio of 1 to 30 with water (for |
| for something that occurred in the past. | | | | example 1 cup of bleach to 30 cups of water). It is a |
| 3) Puppy Potty Training | | | | good idea to patch test a small hidden corner of |
| You need to provide an acceptable area for toileting | | | | flooring to make sure it does not stain. |
| and guidance until the puppy learns to use this area | | | | When the puppy has not had a "mistake" in the |
| as its "potty". The potty area must be kept clean by | | | | house for a month or more, you can start to relax |
| picking up stools (poos) daily and disposing of them. | | | | your supervision and confinement. It is prudent that |
| A grassy patch away from the house is suitable. | | | | you give your puppy a chance to exercise and toilet |
| It often only takes a few days to toilet train puppies. | | | | before leaving it indoors unsupervised for increasing |
| They soon learn where they should or should not go | | | | lengths of time. If there is an accident, you may |
| and the consequences of toileting indoors. | | | | need to go out for shorter periods or resort to |
| Puppies have a very strong urge to toilet soon after | | | | confinement until things improve again. |