Puppyhood is the “formative” period for your dog. What you teach him during this time will most likely stick with him the rest of his life. One of the most important things you will be teaching him is where to potty.
The most important thing you can do for your pup at this time is to establish a steady routine. Without the adaptation of a routine to daily life, a puppy can become confused and may develop anxiety issues later in life. Begin by setting certain times in which you feed him, take him to potty, and sleep. Try to stick to the same general time every day.
A good way to save your sanity is to admit right off the bat that your puppy will have accidents. You can help ease these by keeping some newspaper in a dedicated spot so that your pup can at least familiarize himself with going in one area if he can’t make it outside. This works particularly well if you don’t have a doggy door and your puppy relies on you to let him out.
In order to get a better idea of when to expect potty time to come around, you should know that a puppy’s stomach and bladder are very small. When you have fed/watered your pup, expect him to be ready to potty roughly 15 – 20 minutes later. Try your very best to have him in the proper potty environment when the time comes. It will not only establish a dependable routine, but will also familiarize your pup with the correct place to potty.
It’s a good idea to separate play time from potty time very early on. If you’ve taken him out to potty and he goes, take him straight back indoors, wait a bit, and then take him out to play. Allowing him to potty and play in the same time period can send mixed signals as to what he’s supposed to do. You wouldn’t want him waking you up for play time in the wee hours of the morning!
This period in your puppy’s life is a great one to start administering praise and discipline techniques. Many people prefer “good boy/girl” and “no,” which can be still be used when your dog is older. Although puppies need a lot of repetition, routine, and firmness, remember that your puppy will soon grow up, so enjoy his puppyhood while you can!
You must log in to post a comment.