The Biggest Potty Training Mistake New Puppy Owners Make

I'm Dale Buchanan, and this is Puppy Talk, the podcast that offers free advice and tips for raising a happy, healthy, and obedient puppy. For more information on this podcast, visit us online at puppytalkpodcast.com. Welcome to Puppy Talk episode number 147. I'm your host, Dale Buchanan. Today I'm going to talk about a very important topic. And I know I say that every week, but this topic really is important. It is the biggest potty training mistake new puppy owners make. Have you ever thought, why didn't my puppy let me know they needed to go outside? Most young puppies don't have the mental capacity to let you know that they need to go outside. It's just unrealistic, and usually that expectation cannot be met. Waiting for the puppy to tell you they need to go outside is a mistake that can cause more accidents than most anything else. New puppy owners often expect their puppy to bark at the door, scratch at the door, whine, pace around, or sit and stare at them. The problem is that most puppies don't know how to communicate that yet. They don't realize that the bathroom is outside. When they feel the urge, they simply go wherever they happen to be. Instead, owners need to be proactive. Remember these tips. Take your puppy outside immediately after they wake up, after eating, after drinking, after play sessions, after training sessions, after naps, before bedtime, and every twenty to sixty minutes for very young puppies depending on age. Here is a scientific method that I learned from a vet a few years ago. It sets the puppy up for success by allowing them only a small amount of water at a time and then taking them outside to go potty shortly afterward. You can use this same method for food and a pooping schedule. The only difference is that the feedings will be less frequent, usually only two to three meals per day. Keep in mind that all dog food has moisture, which turns into liquid inside the body. This will automatically add a little bit more fluid to the bladder, depending on the type of food. Here's the method. Step one. Give your puppy one ounce of water per pound of body weight per day. That's per day, not at a time. You will need a measuring cup to ensure that they get the exact amount of water per day. Step two. Divide the total amount of water into four or five servings. Step three. Give your puppy one of those servings of water. Step four. Take your puppy out to go potty three times within one hour after that serving of water. Here's an example. Your puppy weighs eight pounds. That means they need eight ounces of water per day. Not at one time, but per day. Give them a two ounce serving of water at 8 a.m., 11 a.m. 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. That's four servings of two ounces equals eight ounces of water. Take them out to pee every 20 minutes after drinking the serving of water at 8 20, 8 40, and 9 a.m. Repeat this schedule after each additional serving of water. They will get 16 potty breaks per day. I know that sounds like a lot, but it is a lot, and this is what you signed up for when you got a puppy. Also, don't leave water out for the puppy to drink all day. And don't give the puppy water late at night. This podcast is backed by a lot of research that I found online from the following organizations. The AVSAB from an article called House Training Tips. I'll link it in the show notes. From the AKC American Kennel Club, Potty Training Timeline and Tips. I'll also link that in the show notes. From PETMD, How to Potty Train a Puppy. I'll leave that link in the show notes as well. From VCA, House Training for Puppies and Dogs, the link will be in the show notes. And from the ASPCA, House Training Your Dog or Puppy, I'll also put that link in the show notes. I'm not just saying this because this is what I've experienced. I'm saying these things, and this is a scientific method because it actually works and it's backed by science. This is a scientific method. Don't expect them to tell you when they want to go outside until they're much older. If they do tell you that they want to go outside at a young age, it may be just to play or dig a hole or chew on the grass. It doesn't necessarily mean to go potty. What about dog doorbells? That's a good question. I haven't seen young puppies effectively use a dog doorbell. I've seen very few older dogs use a dog doorbell. I would say maybe 1% of the people that I see have a dog that can use the bell. The rest have the bells at their house and they're off to the side or they're just hanging there and they're not being used. So that gives you some context of how many dogs can actually use the bells effectively to let their owners know to go outside to go potty. But it's definitely not very young puppies from eight to sixteen weeks old. They must be much older than that. I know there are a few people out there that get bells and automatically their puppy at eight weeks old can learn to ring the bells. That's the exception. Don't count on that. Again, be proactive. Use these tips, monitor the water intake, take your puppy outside regularly. That will ensure that your puppy is set up for success to learn how to be potty trained very quickly. I hope you enjoyed the information in this podcast. If you have any questions, you can reach me through the website, puppytalkpodcast.com. Have a great day.