Pet owners need to train their dogs early to be well-behaved. For instance, early potty training can help a dog transition from babyhood to adulthood much more smoother. However, at what age should a dog be potty trained? Do you know? According to training specialists, every dog should be assigned to potty training starting from 3 to 6 months of age.
Just like human babies, dogs, at an early age, can learn new things quickly. They are curious and obedient, and love exploring everything that comes their way. As a result, teaching the canines sooner allows a pet parent to attain the best possible outcome with less effort.
While you may be concerned about your pet’s frequent potty breaks, you will just need to maintain a consistent schedule to address this issue. It will help you get a potty-trained dog sooner than you’d expect. Here we have the key points regarding the potty training process, so let’s go through it together.
How Old Should a Puppy Be to Start Potty Training?
Professional trainers recommend assigning dogs to potty training when they turn 3-month-old puppy. When puppies reach that age, their bodies are capable of controlling urine and bowel movements. It helps them hold onto their urge to poop and wait until they reach the toilet.
It takes a lot of effort on the part of pet parents to fully potty train their dogs. Puppies are as naive as a baby and require even subtle instruction to help them understand gestures.
So, when you are training a pup, you will have to keep in mind that your pup is yet to become an adult and requires gentle reinforcement before holding onto your commands and acting accordingly.
Besides, it’s also a very common scenario for puppies to take a longer period of time in training. Some dogs may take a few months to a year to learn the warning signs, which means puppy parents must stay calm and consistent in executing the sessions with positive reinforcement.
How to Speed Up Dog’s Potty Training?
If your pet takes too much time to learn potty tactics, you might apply strict rules. Of course, we do not support you inflicting any negative punishment on pets; we only suggest being a little strict with the training schedule.
For instance, outlining a strict schedule to take him on walks. Walking your dog outside around once a day is enough. It will allow him to stay put at home and use the washroom more frequently to develop a habit of it.
You can use a crate to make the training session more effective. Essentially, every dog despises the idea of getting their crates soiled with potty spots. Not only the crate but even they are also sincere about keeping the space clean where they sleep. So, when you use a crate, it triggers his instincts not to mess up inside and work on his bladder control until he finds the restroom.
If you have to leave your pet on his own, ensure you leave his crate open near the bathroom. You can also leave him with some toys, food, and water to distract him.
Try to wake your pet at least once during the night to finish his potty in the restroom. It will allow him to acknowledge the right manners of potty even when he is asleep.
Follow the Timing Method for Puppy Potty Training
You can use this standard time approach for your dog’s toilet training:
- When your puppy gets up in the morning, take him outside every 30 to 60 minutes to relieve himself.
- Take him outside after every nap he takes or when you come home after an extended period of time to make him potty. Also, before he goes to bed, make sure he has finished his potty.
- Take your puppy to the same spot every time he needs to go potty. His distinct aroma will entice him to use the place again.
- Until your pet is entirely potty trained, stay close to your pet while he answers to nature’s call.
- When your dog defecates outside, always appreciate and reward him. Positive reinforcement, such as his favorite treat, positive behavior, or playing a quick game, would also suffice.
- Stick to a regular schedule so that your puppy doesn’t feel lazy to continue the training sessions. Staying precise with the timing helps your puppy grow a healthy habit of learning the housebreaking rules.
- You can use a potty pad when your puppy is just a few weeks of age. This will help train your puppy on the housebreaking rules as well as prevent him from soiling around the house.
FAQs
What age should a puppy be toilet trained?
Your puppy can start learning housebreaking or potty-training manners by the time he gets three months old. Also, a 4-6 months old puppy can practice potty time as that’s considered the best age to learn bladder control.
When are dog’s potty trained?
By the time dogs develop an understanding of their physical movements, such as bowel movements and bladder control, they are usually fit for potty training. So, you will have to wait until your pet becomes a little older. It will help him be both obedient to your commands and understand the need to learn potty training manners.
How long does it take to potty train a puppy?
It differs depending on how fast your pet can learn. Not every dog is a fast learner, so it sometimes takes about three to six months or even a year to train a pup fully. An average puppy takes about a couple of months to learn potty rules. In contrast, some fast learning dogs can cope with the training classes within a couple of weeks.
Which dog breed is easiest to potty train?
There are several dog breeds that are easier to train housebreaking or potty training rules. Some of these breeds are,
- Australian shepherd.
- Bichon Frise.
- Border collie.
- Boston terrier.
- Brittany.
- Doberman pinscher.
- German shepherd.
- Kai Ken.
Should I wake my puppy up to pee at night?
Indeed, waking your puppy at night during their sleep is mandatory when you are potty training your pup. It enables your pup to get habitual to the routine so that he can wake up on his own when he feels the urge to pee or relieve himself.
Conclusion
At what age should a dog be potty trained, and what techniques should you follow? That’s one of the most common queries we have heard so far.
Potty training should be commenced when your pup becomes at least three months old, and by following a training process that emphasizes consistency, you can help your dog learn to go potty on schedule. This will encourage the pup to relieve itself when you take it outside, lowering the chance of occasional accidents.
Most dogs go potty every hour, which is entirely normal and healthy. But with time passing by, this potty-breaking habit also changes. As every puppy owner is advised to start potty training a dog from a very early age, it becomes easier for pups to learn the tactics and manners.
This article has focused on elaborating on the details regarding puppy potty training and when should dogs be potty trained, which we hope has been helpful to you.
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