In today’s episode Kayla Fratt of Journey Dog Training and Marissa Martino of Paws & Reward talk about house training your puppy! Everyone’s favorite pastime! The first half of the show walks you through a specific case study and during the second half of the show they share their ideal puppy house training set up.
Perfect PUPPY house training set up:
PREPARATION:
- Tools needed:
- Ex pen
- Shower liner mat
- Litter box area
- Crate
- How to Crate Train
Process:
- Take the puppy outside every hour, more frequently if the puppy has been playing, sleeping, eating, or drinking.
- The puppy is only allowed out of the crate/pen area with active supervision (read about active versus passive versus reactive supervision here).
- Make sure all potty breaks are on leash and boring until the puppy is empty.
- If the puppy doesn’t go to the bathroom, place the puppy back into the crate/pen area for 10 minutes and then try again outside.
- If the puppy is crying, take the puppy out and see if they need to go potty. Make sure it is a short and quick break.
- If accidents happen, clean them up and try again. Keep note of when and where accidents happen to see if there are any behavioral patterns.
- Pick up water before bedtime if puppy is having a lot of accidents at night. This applies to puppies that are 12 weeks or older. Expect midnight breaks for super young pups.
- Add one hour per month of age to support building bladder control ONLY after the puppy understands the concept of holding it.
Other resources:
Journey Dog Training Resources:
Kayla is from Ashland, Wisconsin but lives in Missoula Montana. She holds a degree in biology from Colorado College and has spent years working in zoos, animal shelters, as a private dog trainer, and with working detection K9s. She is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant. She shares her life with her border collie Barley.
