It’s never too early to start toilet training your puppy. In fact, it should start as soon as their paws step through the door. Sometimes when you welcome a new addition, the whirlwind of excitement means the routine goes out the window. It is important to remember that the sooner your dog gets familiar with their routine, the quicker they will learn and retain their knowledge. When it comes to training, consistency is the key to success. We have put together a guide that will tell you everything you need to know about toilet training your puppy. While this guide is tailored to new puppies, you can use this for older dogs, but be patient - it takes persistence to remove old habits!
Why is toilet training so important?
Toilet Training is beneficial for all dogs, even those who will spend most of their time outside. Having a toilet trained dog means you can trust them to enjoy time inside the house without worrying whether they will have an accident. It also means they can travel in your car, visit your local pet store or cafe, and visit houses of your friends and family members without ‘causing a scene.’ It also teaches them discipline to do their business in appropriate places, rather than just whenever and wherever they feel like it.
Using Training Pads
Training pads are a great way to toilet train your puppy or dog and contain any mess to one area. Training Pads have a super absorbent core which rapidly absorbs urine, keeping the surface dry to eliminate wet paw prints in your home. They are also designed with a protecting layer to trap liquid and ensure your floors remain hygienic, fresh and urine free. Using training pads will give your dog a designated spot to go to the toilet. It is important to praise them every time that they go to the toilet in the designated area, so the positive behavior is reinforced.
The Process
- Place your dog on the pad a few times to get them acquainted with it
- After meal times, take your dog to the training pad and use your command (e.g. toilet) to encourage them to go
- Always praise your dog for doing the right thing. Never punish your dog if you find a mess off the pad. Bring them back to the pad immediately to reinforce that this is the place to go
- Once your dog has learnt to use the pad and you want your dog to go outside, gradually move replacement pads closer and closer to an outside door. Eventually place the pad outside to complete the training process.
- Routine, consistency and patience all help to toilet train dogs.
Our top tips
- Be Consistent: choose one command such as “toilet” or “be quick” and use this every time your dog is on the training pad
- Be One Step Ahead: take your dog to their training pad after every meal, sleep and play. Look for signs such as circling and sniffing.
- Be realistic: accidents will happen, getting it right will take time, so be patient and always use positive reinforcement. Once your dog is confident toileting on the training pads you can begin to advance them to toileting outdoors. Simply move the training pads closer to the door and eventually outside.
Don’t forget, puppies have a small bladder, so it is important that someone is available to supervise the puppy as much as possible in the early stages to speed up the learning process. This is a journey for both you and your dog, but if you stick with it, it’s worth the effort! We hope this helps you get the ball rolling
