The Complete Guide to Indoor Potty Training for Puppies
Welcoming a new puppy into your home is exciting, but it also comes with a ton of responsibilities. As a dog parent, the first few months are crucial for house training and teaching good behaviour. One of the first things you’d especially like your pup to learn is indoor potty training.
While teaching your puppy to go to the bathroom outside is ideal, it’s not always the practical option – especially if you live in a small home or apartment without yard access. Apartment dwellers may find the trip to the elevator and out to the street takes longer than their puppies can hold their pee. Most importantly, puppies not yet fully vaccinated are exposed to higher health risks when they do their business outdoors; thus, it makes sense to move the toilet indoors instead.
There are many options to create an indoor toilet for your dog, like placing a rag or pee pad in one area of your home, but the cleanest and most hygienic solution is a litter box with a patch of real grass like Nature’s Loo Real Grass Dog Toilets. Not only are these easy to maintain but your puppies’ natural instincts will also be triggered by the smell and texture of authentic grass, making potty training smoother and faster. These are also available on subscription, so you won’t have to worry about running out of pads!
How to succeed in indoor potty training
Once you’ve prepared the indoor toilet, you now have to work on your pup’s habits and routines. Here are the steps to achieve indoor potty training success.
1. Have a regular routine in place
As much as possible, feed your dogs and take potty breaks at around the same time every day. Remember that younger pups will need more frequent breaks, so start by taking them to the toilet immediately after waking and within 10 minutes after eating, drinking, or playing. While you’re working on potty training, it’s also best to lead them to the toilet every hour until they understand the process and go potty by themselves.
2. Watch out for signs that your pup needs to go
Certain behaviours will signal that your fur baby is feeling the urge to take a potty break, so it’s important to observe and watch them closely. When you see them becoming restless, sniffing around, doing circles, or suddenly trotting to one corner, snatch up your pup and take them to the toilet pad so they can relieve themselves.
3. Praise and reward your pup
It’s important to heap on the praise and reward your pup whenever they perform a desired behaviour. Your dog will remember these types of positive reinforcement, and it will motivate them to continue their good habits.
When you first introduce your puppy to the toilet pad, focus on helping him become comfortable with stepping in and out. Lure him with a treat and reward him for interacting with the box (like sniffing or stepping on the grass).
Once you’ve succeeded, you can move on to using the toilet pad for potty breaks. Wait for your dog to use the pad, and then use positive reinforcement whenever they accomplish the task.
4. Be prepared for accidents
Potty training pups isn’t always a perfect process, so resist the urge to punish your pets, as this might make them afraid of you or, worse, afraid to do their business in your presence. Clean up the mess without fuss and use a pet-friendly cleaner that will remove scents and odours so your dog will not return to that spot to poop or pee.
5. Give your dog privacy
Remember to place your dog’s toilet pad in a low-traffic area of the house for your convenience and your dog’s privacy. That’s because most pups prefer peace and quiet when doing their business.
Pet pads like Nature’s Loo Real Grass Dog Toilets are ideal for indoor potty training. They can be placed anywhere and can be easily accessed by your pups. If you have a covered balcony or veranda, you can successfully potty train without confusing your dog. Because the toilet pad uses real grass, your dog will also be able to associate it with going outdoors to do their business.
The grass pad also offers natural moisture absorption and odour neutralising properties, so clean up is a breeze. Simply remove any solid waste and lightly use a fine mist spray two to three times a week. It’s also recommended to expose the grass to sunlight for 1 to 2 hours daily.
When it comes to indoor potty training, there is no set timeframe for when puppies can master the skill. Factors like age, learning history, and methods can affect training. But remember that patience, consistency, and practice are the keys to success. Just keep working with your pup, and you’ll get there!
