How long for puppy to be pottytrained?

Question

Based on YOUR experience with YOUR dog, how long did it take for you to potty train your puppy? What makes you think your experience/training method was shorter or longer than other puppies, other than the breed.

Answer 1

it took me about a month, but i followed a regime very tightly. I'd read a book that suggested trying to feed your dog at the same time every day as well as being dilligent about taking the dog out at certain times. lots of praise when they go outside. I think showing the dog how proud you are when they go outside and mild discipline when they go inside helps a lot.

Answer 2

It depends on what method you use.

You should be using a crate. The fastest way to housebreaking puppies is to start by confining the puppy to a small area. The crate serves this purpose because it brings out your puppy's "den instinct" and provides for a sense of security and well-being. It also acts similar to the way a crib or playpen would for a human baby-- it keeps the pup out of trouble when you are not around to supervise

Answer 3

My dog was 5 months old before she was 100% trained. Before that, she would have accidents when we left her alone too long. That wasn't her fault though, until a puppy is 5-6 months old, their bladder muscles aren't strong enough to "hold it" for long periods.
We trained her to go on command from the first day we brought her home. We took her out after naps, meals and when she'd been left alone for a while. We stayed out with her and said over and over "go potty" until she did. Then praised her and brought her back in the house. It's easier that way so you don't have to guess when they have to go, and you don't have to wait forever for them to finish.
Good luck to you, and congrats on the pup.

Answer 4

When I got my Pug, it took about 3 months for her to really know that she goes out to potty. Sometimes after that if we were not paying attenchion or she couldn't hold it she would go on the floor. But she would not use the puppy pads at all. She would rip them all to pieces. So she only goes out to pee and poop. For my Mom, she got a JRT. She was only 6 weeks when my mom got her. It took 2 weeks for my mom to train her pup to use the pad. My mom had surgery 2 months ago and my brother would let her go out to potty. Now she won't go on the pad anymore. I guess that is somewhat a good thing.

Answer 5

My dogs still being potty trained but hes almost done. My way of potty training him was putting him in a baby crib with newspaper and every time i had a chance take him outside to go potty. Now he barely goes in his crib.

Answer 6

My vet told me after you feed your pet pick up the dish don't leave food and water out all the time they only need water when they eat. Take them out often and in 2 weeks they should be potty trained and it worked for me. Remember to praise your dog when they potty outside. Good luck

Answer 7

every dog i have personally raised and train. the puppies that were born at home i started them as soon as there eyes were open i took them out when i took there mom out, and after they ate they learned fast. the puppies i had got from other litters. i used the same thing i take them out when they first wake up and after they eat. praise them with attention and make a big deal when they go, you have to be consistent and it doen't take long for them to connect going to the door means going out side, when they have a accident just show it to them and then take them out side for a few min. i found out Thur experience putting down puppies pads and newspaper only teaches them to go in the house and then its harder to get them to go out side. remember have patience be consistent. after all you didn't get potty trained in one day either, ha ha ha... good luck. p.s. i have owned and trained a lot of different breeds. i love dogs

Answer 8

Our black lab took about 6 wks to train. We got her at 6wks old and she was trained by 12 wks old. We crate trained her. I would recommend this to anyone. It went so fast. We also took her outside a lot when she was not in the crate.

Answer 9

Just for some background, I am a former AKC kennel owner (until I got a divorce :P), professional obedience, tracking, and area/personal protection trainer. I have also been a show handler with multiple AKC obedience titles to my dogs' credit. I am a founding member, former Chairman of the National Association of Professional Canine Trainers and Handlers (NAPCaTH) and certified Canine Behaviorist. I have also trained Search and Rescue dogs which have worked around the world. I'm not just spouting something I heard from Uncle Jake, saw posted in a forum on the internet, or saw on "The Dog Whisperer". (shudder)

A puppy can be successfully housebroken starting at the age of 6 weeks, but it is a serious responsibility and requires constant attention. The time it takes to housebreak a puppy in my home is 2-5 days. If it's taking longer than that then YOU are doing something wrong.

I'm going to use the term "poo" to cover both urine and feces.

Here is the recipe for successful housebreaking:

#1 Get on a schedule. – Bring him outside often (about every 2-4 hours) for the first week or so. Stay outside until he does his business. If you can't dedicate yourself to going outside with your puppy for 15 minutes every 4 hours for a few days then please take the puppy to a shelter and get a cat. Also, he should make a potty run every time he wakes up from a nap and about 5-15 minutes after he eats. NEVER withhold water from any animal without specific directions to do so from a veterinarian. Dehydration can happen _very_ quickly in a puppy and it’s known in most states as “animal abuse”, “cruelty to animals”, or “criminal neglect” (usually a FELONY) if an animal suffers because its owner is too lazy to get off their butt and take them outside.

#2 Praise early, praise often. - Make a BIG pleasant deal about what a wonderful thing it is that he has done his business outside **as soon** as he has done so. If you wait until a puppy wanders up to you to praise him, then he thinks you are praising him for coming to you and has forgotten all about the big stinky load he dropped a few minutes before. Your praise to correction ratio should be about 20:1. That means that you should be telling him that he is good for doing all kinds of little things about 20 times more often than you are scolding him for doing something wrong. This will teach him very quickly the boundaries of what acceptable behavior is and what is not.

#3 DO NOT RUB THE DOG'S NOSE IN POO! A dog has no way of getting the poo off of his nose except by licking it off. If he does this then before you know it, you have a poo eating dog on your hands b/c he has developed a taste for it! Instead, remember that a dog's nose is at least 150 times more powerful than your own (depending upon the breed) and use that to your advantage. Make the dog down-stay (lay down and stay there) in position for 1 minute per month of age very near but not in the poo. If your dog is 3 months old, then he stays with his nose next to the poo for 3 minutes while you clean it up. He will very soon associate pooing in the house with having to lay still for (what seems like to a puppy) a VERY long time and will instead wait for his next regularly scheduled potty break.

#4 Be consistent. The pup needs to know that if he poos in the house that there are consequences and, more importantly, that if he does it outside that there will be praise.

#5 NEVER call a dog to you for punishment. When you find the dog has dropped a load, go get him, pull him carefully but firmly to the site of the poo, and then scold him. If you call a dog to you for punishment then you are, in the dog's mind, punishing him for coming to you when you call him b/c that's the last thing he did before you lit into him with your loud, scolding mommy (or daddy) voice. If the dog's nose is filled with the aroma of his own poo, then it's pretty clear to him what you are bent out of shape about. If I had a dollar for every time someone has called me up and can't figure out why their dog doesn't come when he's called but yet they call the dog before they punish him, I'd be a VERY rich man. :D

The most important thing to remember with canine behavior:
Dogs LOVE praise. They LIVE for praise. If your pup knows that he will be praised for good behavior then he will do absolutely ANYTHING that will earn him "good luvins".

Good luck and please feel free to email me if you have any further questions.

Answer 10

It shouldn't take a week my way.First you walk her out side on a chain and then when she goes give her a treat.Do that for two days and then let her out side by herself and when she comes back give her a treat if she went to the bathroom.Then just let off thetreats little by little and she should start going to the door when she has togo.