There is no “right answer” for potty training. There are several methods for potty training and what works for one family may not work for another. It’s important to find what’s the right method for YOU based on your living arrangements, schedule, and personal preference. Several methods can also be used simultaneously.

A great resource that goes over potty training is the book Way to Go!, it is short, easy to read, and packed with great info!

Prior to your puppy going home, one way we begin to set your puppy up for success is having a designated potty space in their weaning pen. This helps the puppies learn to differentiate between sleep/ play space and potty space, puppies naturally don’t want to soil where they sleep so are drawn to potty in the “right spot.” We also begin to acclimate the puppies to their crates starting around 5-6 weeks old.

Potty Training Methods: Crate Training - Tethering - PlayPen - Bells - Timed - ESP

ESP - This stands for Eat Sleep Play. In this method of potty training, you take the puppy out after every transition of activity. So after the EAT, after they SLEEP, and after they PLAY you will take them out to potty.

Crate - It is extremely important when crate training your puppy to make sure the crate is the correct size for your puppy. They should have just enough room to stand up (without ducking), turn around, and lie down. If the crate is too big for the puppy, the puppy is more likely to have accidents in the crate. I would recommend a metal wire crate as they come with dividers. This will allow you to only have to buy one crate for the lifetime of your puppy, you simply adjust the divider as your puppy grows to give them more space.

For the first week after the puppies arrival, it is recommended to have the crate in your bedroom for bedtime. It may be helpful to have a second crate in a main area or moving the crate to a main area during the day for easier access.

Another important aspect of crate training is to NOT acknowledge the puppy while they are in the crate if they are crying/ whining. Do not look at or talk to the puppy if they are crying in the crate. The only exception to this rule is if the puppy had previously been sleeping and wakes up, then take them out to potty and once they’re done they can go back into the crate. If you feel like you may look at the puppy while they are crying in the crate it may be helpful to put a blanket over the puppies crate.

One way we acclimate our puppies to “bedtime” is to put on lullabies before bed for the night. This may be helpful once home as well to cue them that it is now time to settle down/ sleep.

Play Pen - This works similarly to the crate but gives the puppy more space and you can put a potty area in the playpen. This is often a short term solution as some puppies do eventually learn to climb out of the pen.

Tethering - aka the umbilical cord method. With this method the puppy is always attached to you via the leash. This ensures you notice the puppies cues when they need to go potty and they can’t wander off to have an accident unnoticed.

Bells - having bells by the door that you teach the puppy to ring when the need to go potty. With this method you ring the bell each time you take the puppy out to potty. They begin to associate the ringing bells with the action of going out. I personally do not prefer this method as in my opinion this method really just teaches your puppy to ring bells to go OUTSIDE and not to go POTTY. ;)

Timed - some people follow the rule of thumb of taking their puppy out every x hours per months old they are. So every 2 hours when they are 2 months old, etc.

IMPORTANT: puppies should NEVER be left unattended. Unattended puppies should always be assumed to be up to no good (chewing something they shouldn’t) and having accidents.

Let’s Talk Poop…

Ideally puppies come home and have perfect, formed poops. Unfortunately this is not always the case so lets discuss…

Puppy Diarrhea

Diarrhea is extremely common with young puppies. Their young digestive systems are immature and when experiencing stress (negative or positive) the first place that typically manifests is in their tummies as diarrhea. Here’s what we typically recommend:

Step 1 - if the puppy has diarrhea - fast for at least 12 hours. This means no food or treats, only water.

Step 2 - reintroduce their food with a probiotic. We like to use Bernies Perfect Poop.

Step 3 - if loose stool persists, bring a fresh stool sample to the vet.

Parasites

While loose stool is often due to stress, that stress can also bring to the surface dormant parasites which will cause the loose stool to persist. Parasites are very normal and common, in fact puppies are born with them. Some common parasites include: round worm, tapeworm, giardia, coccidia, etc.

We do our best to eradicate parasites before puppies go home but unfortunately because some parasites can lie dormant in the muscle tissue until the puppy is stressed the deworming can sometimes miss them.

Our deworming schedule is: Pyrantel (2 & 4 weeks old), Toltrazuril (5 weeks old), and Fenbedazole (6 & 8 weeks old). This schedule may be adjusted pending the fecal check we do at 6 weeks for the puppies or if they are having loose stool prior we will check earlier to deworm accordingly. Your puppy will come home with a report indicating all deworming and vaccines given while in our care. Be sure to share this information with your vet at their first appointment.

More info coming soon!

More info coming soon!