Potty training a puppy
Potty training a puppy is an important part of their upbringing. Potty training a dog is a process that requires time and patience, especially when you bring a pup into your home. Be aware that at 8 weeks old, puppies need to pee every hour. Additionally, puppies poop on average 4 times a day. At night, they need to pee about 1 to 2 times. Once a puppy is 7 months old, they pee on average 3 to 4 times and poop about 2 times a day. During the first months, as an owner, you will have your hands full with a puppy; you will need to take the pup outside regularly so it understands that this is the place to relieve itself.
Common problems when potty training a puppy
Potty training a puppy is related to how you raise the animal. Often, owners punish their pups too much and/or at the wrong time. Additionally, a lack of knowledge about learning principles plays an important role with puppies, which in some cases can cause several common problems during potty training. These can range from indoor accidents to fear of going for walks. It is important to resolve these problems quickly. Only then will you have a happy, well-trained dog.
Some common problems and solutions:
- Indoor accidents: when a puppy hasn’t had enough time to go outside or doesn’t understand where to relieve itself, it can remain incontinent. In this case, it is important to take your pup outside more often, possibly for longer periods, and reward the animal when it relieves itself outside.
- Submissive urination: Puppies still have a lot to learn and can behave submissively, especially towards older dogs and sometimes towards people. For example, when an older dog sniffs your puppy, or when a person approaches your puppy, the animal may take a low posture (keeping the head low and tail down, sometimes the pup may even crouch) and release some urine; unfortunately, this sometimes happens indoors as well.
- Urination after a nap: When your puppy just wakes up from a nap, it may urinate. The animal is not fully awake yet and may not have full control over its sphincter. A simple solution is to take your pup outside before sleeping and immediately after waking up.
- Excitement urination: Excitement urination mainly occurs in puppies who have a full bladder and then get excited. Pups do not yet have full control over their sphincters. This behavior usually disappears when a puppy is about 8 to 10 months old.
- Fear of going for walks: Some dogs can be very stressed or even fearful during walks and may therefore be unable to relieve themselves. In this case, it is important to take your dog to a calm and safe place, give the animal time to relax, and reward your four-legged friend when it has relieved itself.
- Marking: If you have a male dog, he may start marking his territory around 8 months old. Around this age, a male’s hormones kick in. The animal is no longer a full puppy but not yet an adult. Pups then learn to lift their leg and mark. It may happen that a puppy urinates on the table leg or the corner of the couch indoors… It is important to unlearn this unwanted behavior. Marking occurs most often in unneutered males. In 67% of males, marking stops after neutering.
- An irregular routine: Dogs are naturally creatures of habit and do best with a fixed routine. Without a fixed routine, a dog may become incontinent. Creating and maintaining a fixed schedule for feeding and walking your pup can be a solution.
- Incontinence due to inability to be alone: Some dogs urinate when left alone at home. This can be because these animals do not cope well with being alone and may even suffer from separation anxiety. When everyone, or a certain person, leaves the house, the animal may urinate (this is not caused by insufficient outdoor breaks but truly by separation anxiety).
- Old age: Some older dogs may suffer from dementia and become incontinent. It is also possible that the sphincter muscle no longer works properly, causing the dog to urinate indoors. If medical causes are ruled out, more frequent walks with your four-legged friend can be a solution. If there is a medical cause, medication may help.
Tips for potty training your dog
An important part of potty training a dog is establishing a routine. Dogs are creatures of habit and feel most comfortable when they know what is expected of them. By setting a routine, such as walking at certain fixed times of the day, you can help your puppy learn to become potty trained. Rewarding is a powerful tool. This can be in the form of a treat, a pat on the head, or a toy. By rewarding good behavior, you let your four-legged friend know that this behavior is appreciated, encouraging the animal to repeat it more often.
When starting potty training, it is important to remember that every dog is unique and some solutions that work for one dog may not always work for another. It is important to be patient and consistent in your approach. If your dog continues to struggle with incontinence, consult a professional dog trainer for further help; you can also contact a veterinarian to rule out any health problems.
