In a world where dog ownership has become ubiquitous, it is somewhat confusing to me how many people get a puppy without thinking about what it will take to potty train them. It is also a little disconcerting that new puppy owners think that simply having them learn on their own, without any guidance or prompts is a successful way of introducing themselves to this new being that they are now ultimate responsible for. We (humans) needed a lot of time and direction when learning how to control our bladder. It was a process, not something our parents (thankfully) expected us to figure out on our own. With the risk of sounding like a broken record, we are responsible for teaching our dogs the rules and boundaries that we expect them to follow. If they were left with their pack, puppies would learn from their mother and peers where to go relieve themselves. The mother dog would also be responsible for teaching them how to groom themselves and not to poop where they sleep or where they eat. The truth is, responsible breeders will usually have puppies more or less potty trained by the time they sell them. Since the pups were kept with their moms long enough for it to have been (for the most part) ingrained in them. But alas, we live in a time of instant results and gratification. We have strayed from the understanding that teaching takes time; learning takes repetition and practice and that dog training is done in our terms but at the dog’s pace. Therefore, in order to add my now two cents to the conversation, I decided to write down how one can be successful in teaching their dog (young or old) where their new human would like them to go and relieve themselves. It is not a hard process, but it is one that will have to be repeated countless times until it becomes the norm. Practicing when we don’t have to, allows us to be prepared when we need it.
The younger the mamal, the less control they have of their bladder. That is true of humans as it is of dogs. If you have a young pup (less then six months) then be prepared to have less time in between potty breaks. All times mentioned here are approximate, not to be taken literally. If you have a young pup, having them sleep in a crate is almost as much of a necessity as us sleeping in a crib. The crate will be their den, and dogs do not like to relive themselves where they sleep. Having a young pup sleep and spend downtime in a crate is one of the easiest ways to start teaching them to control their bladder. Since a young pup doesn’t have a lot of self control, the more space they have, the higher the probability of them getting confused about where they should go potty. The younger the dog, the less time they can hold it. So a young pup should go out to where they should go potty every two hours. Starting a morning routine of bringing them out of a crate and walking them (not carrying since then they will have a harder time understanding) to the designated place. Refrain from talking or petting – at a young age, one does not need to be distracted when being taught. And then walk around with them (have them follow you). The movement and the smells will do the rest. Feeding can come after. However, if the dog is very young, make sure they are put back in the crate for about 15, 20 minutes (to let the stomach settle) and then repeat the walking them from the crate to where they should go potty. Walk around, letting them follow, refrain from distracting them with talk. Once that is done then they can have free reign for a little bit. Wash, rinse and repeat.
That is potty training in a nut shell. The older the dog, the longer they can hold it. If you have a dog that is able to sleep through the night without any accidents, that means they can hold it for that long in a small space. The need of putting them back in a crate after eating eases with time. Add about one hour of time in between potty breaks for every month of the dog. Accidents will happen. As they did with us. Learning from those mistakes, is what will allow us (humans) to be quicker in adapting to the needs of our particular dog. Most people believe in giving their new pup all the freedom in world, forgetting that we (humans) were closely monitored when growing up for signs that we needed to go to the bathroom. We weren’t given our independence until years after we were potty trained. That is something to think about.
Dogs depend on us for protection and direction. The first rule of thumb when getting a new dog is limiting the spaces that they can roam freely until after we have established the rules and boundaries that we wish them to follow. The younger the dog, the more closely that should be followed. When getting a new dog into your new home, crate train them and take them outside on a leash to where you wish them to relieve themselves. Do that consistently for about three weeks and your dog is potty trained. Give them no rules to follow and they will choose the place to go that makes most sense to them.
Potty training takes time. Potty training takes consistency. If one follows a routine, one will have no issues teaching their dog. Be it to where to go to the bathroom, be it how one wishes their dog to behave when something unexpected happens. If we use compassion to work with our dogs, we will immediately be reminded that a village was responsible for teaching us the simplest things, like how to use a toilet. Should we now expect anything less when teaching our dogs? Be patient, be consistent, be kind. Your dog wants to do what brings you joy, they just need you to show them how and where.
Happy training.
