Once your puppy has settled in, one of the first things that you will want to do is to start her potty-training. By ensuring that she knows the appropriate places to empty her bladder and bowels, you will be able to keep your home environment clean and fresh and avoid becoming annoyed with your furry friend. However, there are varying schools of thought as to when the best time is to start potty training a puppy.
Most experts agree that it is better to begin the potty training process sooner rather than later. Unless she has been raised in particularly dirty conditions, getting her to pee and poop where you want her to should be a fairly straightforward process. From a fairly young age, puppies quickly realize that it simply isn’t nice to soil the area in which they spend their time and as such, they will automatically seek out other areas to do their business. Once this happens, you can start showing her the area of your yard where you would like her to ‘go’.
Before you start potty training your puppy
One of the most important things to consider when potty training your puppy is how long she can realistically hold her bladder for. While most dogs typically only empty their bowels shortly after eating, you can expect your furbaby to need to pee fairly frequently throughout the day. The younger she is the more often she will need to go. This is because her bladder is still growing too. When she is just 8 weeks old, which is about the time that many pups go to their new homes, she will only be able to wait around an hour before she needs to empty her bladder. It isn’t until she is much older that you can expect her to be able to go several hours or more between trips outside.
It is the size of her bladder that largely drives her need for frequent urination. However, this does mean that you will need to keep a close eye on your pup and be around for her or ensure someone is in the first few weeks of potty training.
How long will it take for my puppy to become potty trained?
Although your puppy may seem to get the hang of potty training fairly quickly, the reality is that accidents do and will occur for anywhere up to her first birthday. These are more likely to happen if your dog has been over-excited or is anxious or scared, but this isn’t always the case. When your puppy has a toilet accident, take a deep breath and don’t get cross. She isn’t doing it intentionally to upset you, however much it may seem like it. Clear it up without a fuss, and make sure you do a really deep clean of the area. It may not smell to you, but with her superior nose, she may be able to detect the scent of pee or poop and this would make her more likely to repeat the behavior.
With time and patience, it is possible for any dog to be properly potty-training, including your precious puppy. For more advice on toilet training your canine, please don’t hesitate to contact our vets in Atlanta, GA today at 404-341-7400, we look forward to hearing from you!
