(DISCLAIMER: We are dog trainers and pet sitters. Any tips or information in these blogs are things we have found helpful in our years of experience. We are not veterinarians and any questions about health or nutrition should be directed to your veterinarian.)

Brining a new puppy or dog home is typically one of the happiest events in a family’s household.  With it comes many challenges, potty training being one of them!  Here are some tips to help with this ever so important task.

• Keep your dog on a schedule. For young puppies, depending on how many weeks old and their size, taking them out every thirty minutes to every hour is recommended if they have an area large enough to move around and play in. At night time or when you are away from the house, they don’t have to go out as often if crated in an appropriate sized space. A good rule of thumb to follow is one hour for every month old they are, plus one. (i.e.) A nine week old puppy may be able to stay crated for three hours. The more opportunities you give them to go outside and go potty the less likely they are to have accidents in the house or crate. Your dog should also be taken outside immediately after waking up from sleeping, after eating, and after vigorous playtime.

•  Pick an area of your yard that you would like to use as the potty area. Take your dog out on a leash to that same spot in the yard every time. Take your treats with you so you can give your dog a treat and praise him immediately after he goes potty. After your dog goes potty you can give him some playtime off-leash if you have a fenced-in yard. This will help teach your dog to go potty as soon as he goes outside. It is important to praise him immediately after he goes potty rather than waiting until he goes into the house. By waiting until he goes into the house, your dog will think you are rewarding him for coming inside rather than for going potty.

• Crate training your dog is also helpful with potty training. Your dog’s crate should be just large enough for him to stand up, turn around, and lay down sideways. If the crate is too large, your dog can go potty in the corner of the crate and then curl up and sleep in a different part. Most dogs will not potty where they sleep. Remember, the crate should always be a safe place and never used as punishment.

• Supervise your dog at all times so they cannot go into another room and have an accident. If you cannot keep an eye on your dog, for example while you are making dinner, put him in his crate.

• NEVER scold your dog or rub his nose in it for having an accident. Your dog will not understand that you are angry that he went potty in the wrong place, your dog will think that you are angry that he went potty. Scolding him for going potty in the wrong place can also create an aversion for him to go potty in front of you outside which can make it very difficult to praise him for doing the right thing. If you notice your dog about to have an accident indoors, clap your hands or whistle to startle him. Usually this will stop a puppy from what they are doing, take him and immediately go outside with him. Be sure to stay outside with him so you can praise him when he goes potty outside.

• Clean up any accidents with a cleaner that contains enzymes such as Nature’s Miracle. Bleach or cleaners without enzymes will kill the germs but will not break down the urine or feces and get rid of them completely. If your dog can smell where he had gone potty previously, he will be more likely to return to that spot and have an accident again.

• Keep a notebook by the door where you can write down what time you took your dog out and what your dog did while he was outside. After a couple of days you will start to notice patterns and your dog’s potty habits. This will help you plan when your dog’s potty breaks should be. The most important part of potty training is patience. Every dog is different in the amount of time it takes, but consistency in schedule and routine is key!

Cuteness brought to you by “Aspen” the puppy!

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(DISCLAIMER: We are dog trainers and pet sitters. Any tips or information in these blogs are things we have found helpful in our years of experience. We are not veterinarians and any questions about health or nutrition should be directed to your veterinarian.)

Greetings Pawty fans! We are happy to introduce “Pawty Pointers”,  a series within the Pawty Blog to bring you helpful tips and information. We hope that you find Pawty Pointers useful and educational!

 “Wait” and “Stay” are two commands that will help your dog with impulse control as well as help to keep them safe. In today’s blog we will discuss 10 ways to use these helpful commands.

“Pawty Pete” demonstrating the “Wait” cue while his doggie friend photo bombed him from around the fireplace!

1. Door Darting: The front door is a very exciting place for your dog. They go out to go on a walk, their family comes home through it, and groceries and the pizza guy come through it. However, it can also be a dangerous place. If your dog runs out the door, they could knock someone down, run away and become lost, or get hit by a car. Teaching your dog to sit and wait at the door until you give him permission to go out can help protect him from these things.

2. If your dog gets excited at meal times, teaching him to sit and wait until you set the food bowl down will help keep your dog from knocking the bowl out of your hands.

3. Is your dog underfoot while you a trying to cook? Teaching your dog to stay out of the kitchen while you are preparing meals can help keep you from tripping over your dog and hurting yourselves. This will also protect your dog from any hot liquids or foods that may spill while cooking.

4. If your dog has a habit of jumping up on you or guests, teaching your dog to stay in a specific place such as a dog bed or a rug can help break them of that habit.

5. In the house, stairs can be a potential hazard. If your dog runs up or down the stairs at the same time as people do, someone could trip and fall. This is especially true if there are children or elderly people in the house. To prevent this, you can teach your dog to wait at the top or bottom of the stairs until the humans are finished using them.

6. Busy parking lots can be a dangerous place for your dog. By teaching your dog to wait after you have opened the car door, you can look around to make sure that no cars are coming before you allow your dog to get out of the car.

7. Besides parking lots, busy streets can also be a dangerous place. It’s a good idea to teach your dog to sit and wait at intersections until you give them permission to cross the street. This will keep them from running into traffic and potentially getting hurt.

8. “Wait” and “Stay” can also keep your dog from getting into things that could be potentially harmful. If you drop a glass and it breaks or you drop a bottle of pills on the floor, you can have your dog sit and stay while you clean up the mess. This type of situation is where the “Leave It” command is also very helpful. We will discuss this command in a later blog.

9. Impress your friends! You can show off how well-behaved your dog is when you have him sit and stay while you walk out of the room or have him sit and stay for 30 seconds or more.

10. “Stay” and “Wait” are also building blocks for more complicated tricks such as balancing a treat on your dog’s nose or learning to jump up and sit on a stool or block. Once your dog knows basic obedience skills, they can learn all sorts of fun tricks!

Have a topic that you would like us to blog about?  Please leave a comment on our Facebook Page under the link of the latest blog announcement!  We just may pick the topic you ask for!