How to toilet train your puppy

House training your puppy takes time, dedication and consistency to get it right but if you invest in this early in the pup’s life you should end up with a dog that goes to the toilet outside in a matter of weeks.

The key is to limit the chances for “accidents” to happen. Learn your pup’s body language so you can guess when they need the toilet. Some dogs start to sniff the ground while others can circle when they need to go. If you spot the signs then get them outside! Stay outside with them but don’t play until they have been to the toilet. When they go to the toilet outside give plenty of praise – talk in an excited high-pitched voice and give a small tasty treat or a toy to play with. When accidents do happen just clean them up without comment. The idea behind this is that by praising the good behaviour and ignoring the bad the puppy learns its more fun to be good. Never punish an accident, pups don’t learn this way.

Try to get your puppy outside every 1 – 2 hours to start with and in particular:

• When they first wake up in the morning or after a nap
• After playing
• When they are excited about something
• After eating or drinking

It may seem tempting to leave your back door open during toilet training but this is actually more confusing for the puppy. There is no barrier for the dog between inside and outside and they don’t have to let you know they need therefore slowing the process down.

All pups are individuals and some may take longer than others but with patience and consistency, you will get there!