Baby Gate

Exciting, fun and at times challenging are just a couple of the words used to describe owning a puppy. A lot of first time puppy owners find themselves overwhelmed with the task of potty training their puppy. Just like babies need constant supervision so do puppies. While  puppy training is a challenge, once completed it is well worth the past struggles.  Here are a couple of basic ideas on how to go about potty training your puppy and some items to help aid the process.
Here is a brief overview of the basics that you need to know when it comes to potty training your new puppy. A puppy does not have the control of their bathroom activities that they will have once they get older. So while your older dog can “hold it” your puppy can’t or has not figured out how to control himself.  By taking your puppy out every couple of hours he will learn the process of controlling himself and letting you know when he needs to go. Also try to avoid paper training if you can. Paper training while a good idea if you can’t take your puppy out every couple of hours is not the best way to potty train your puppy because  eventually he will need to be trained to go outside. So why not kill two birds with one stone and just train him to go potty outside.  If you want your puppy to go to the bathroom in a specific place outside then the best way to make this happen is to put a leash on him and walk him to the designated area. That way he will be able to get a sense of the area you want him to “go” in.

It is also recommended to crate your puppy if you are going to leave for a short amount of time or when sleeping (do not crate your puppy all day!). If you have to leave your puppy home alone while at work or for a long period of time and you don’t have a doggie door then using a puppy training pad might be something you want to try. Also with your puppy training pad they have these things called a puppy training tray that are meant to go underneath the pad and keep it in place and help make clean up a breeze.  If you have a large house, stairs or rooms that you don’t want your puppy to have access to, use a baby gate or puppy gates to help keep them in the area you want them to stay in. It’s best if you can confine your puppy to an area that does not have rugs or carpet. That way there is minimal mess to clean up as well as less possibility of ruining your carpet or rugs.

If you have any ideas, comments, or stories feel free to share them below.

-Alisha