Potty training your puppy and kitty litter training doesn't have to be a painstaking process. More than often, staining and soiling the home leads many dogs and cats to being sheltered. The lack of thorough training has translated to disobedience. The stress of house-training is disappointing for parents and their pets. The best way to set you and your pet up for a happy life together is to have all your tools and techniques ready for success.
3 Ways How to Potty Train Your Dog?
1. Establishing Routines
Monitoring your dog’s habits will help you establish a routine that works for both of your schedules. This allows elimination to accommodate your work, school, and vacation needs. One should expect to take dogs out: first thing in the morning, after playing, after eating or drinking, after time in a crate, after a nap, and before bedtime.
It is safe to defer the schedule to how many times humans use the restroom and add a few more times a day to account for the small canine bladder. The routine allows a puppy or adult dog to understand that there is a time and place to handle business. This in turn makes your life less messy. Mom and dad can anticipate walking times and hiring a dog walker when you are busy and will stray from the schedule.
2. Crate Training
The idea of confinement might seem uncomfortable for new dog parents. However, dogs' feel safer in a comfortable environment when their surroundings are loud or overwhelming. Crates are a powerful tool when one needs to travel with pets or house training.
Through training, the puppy associates safety and comfort with the crate. They will not soil in their den but use it as a retreat. Feed the puppy meals in the crate and take them out of the crate after feedings to use the restroom, so they associate the outside area with elimination. In addition, during crate training, the puppy will learn other rules of the home, such as not chewing on items around the home.
3. Puppy Pads or Turf Training
Puppy pads allows smaller dogs to handle their business within a confined area. This tackles the smaller bladder that requires more frequent trips. Especially in the middle of the night, when they haven't fully developed control of their bladder.
Potty attractant sprays can be placed on the pee pads to encourage the puppies to pee in the potty spot. The pads provides a convenient way for parents to clean up and it is weather proof. Puppy and parents won't have to trudge through the rain and snow to handle the dirty deeds outside.
Although, puppy pee pads are a good intermediary for outdoor pee and poop training, this tool could potentially backfire. If your puppy gets used to eliminating indoors, they could resist using the restroom outdoors. In addition, they could associate similar items to the puppy pads and use those to handle their business. It is not uncommon for pee pad users to also pee on the carpet or towels left on the floor because the puppy associates these household items to the pads. This leads many puppy parents turning to potty or turf box training.
Positive reinforcement for potty training and kitty litter training establishes trust between the pet parent and the dog or cat. By rewarding your cat or dog for eliminating correctly, a positive relationship is developed between behavior and consequences. You can learn more about our dog and cat treats below!
How to Train Your Kitten to Use the Litter Box
Cats have a strong instinct to bury their dirty after the deed, so litter training is less demanding for cat parents than for dog parents. Supplies to consider before bringing your cat home to start litter training are: a litter box, kitty litter, and treats. Parents often have 2 litter boxes per cat sprinkled throughout the home to allow the feline maximum accessibility. Kitty litter comes in many varieties and it is best to start with the basic unscented clumping litter and progress to other types of litter once you figure out the types that fits your family needs. Cat treats are a powerful tool to reward your cat after the deed is done.
Kitty litter training should start immediately when you bring the cat home. Place her or him in the kitty litter box, so he or she gets acquainted with the smell. Place the cat in the box after meals and naps. When you notice the cat using the litter box, give her a treat, toys, or affection to reinforce the habit.
