How to Potty Train Your Puppy Indoors

Life can suddenly become more exciting and enjoyable when a pet member becomes your family. It is the love of the pet that could be so overwhelming. Naturally, potty training the puppy indoors may not be amongst the top list of to-do things with first timers because their minds may be busy with giving the puppy a name, buying her essentials and making her comfortable...and of course there would also be the compelling urge to keep petting her. It is absolutely understandable. However, toilet training the puppy right from Day One saves a lot of stress for you and the little one. 

Why is Potty Training a Puppy Essential?

The importance of house training a puppy can never be over emphasized. Puppies have small bladders; they do not have bladder control and hence they urinate the moment they feel the urge. It could be anywhere right from your carpet to your sofa. They also tend to urinate where they feel their humans' scent more. Chezhi used to pee near the kitchen entrance or outside our bedroom before she was completely potty trained. 

Potty training a puppy saves you loads of work and of course prevents unwanted stress. Though you love your furry member a lot, having to clean up at the most unexpected moment or when you have a project deadline nearing, may throw you off balance and end up giving a stare her way, only to repent in a little while. 

Toilet training a puppy is also highly essential for the puppy to enjoy her life, stay stress free and grow in confidence. This is the time she develops habits and house training her makes things more manageable and enjoyable for the entire family. 

Today I did something right and earned stress-free sleep

When to Start Potty Training Your Puppy?

Right from the moment you welcome the puppy into your house. Hope you read the post My New Home. The moment we walked into our home we gently let her down in the area where we wanted her to pee and she did it. Of course, the beginning was great but we had to keep repeating the instructions and had to take her to the area frequently to make it her habit. During house breaking training, she relieved in different places and often overlooked our instructions to pee in the area assigned for the act. 

This is how I say sorry

How to Potty Train Your Puppy Indoors?

First of all, why should you potty train your puppy indoors? Peeing outdoors is their natural behavior and it is also a way of sending signals to neighborhood dogs. By sniffing other dogs' poop they learn a lot about them. 

However, it is not advisable to expose your puppy to the outside world till she has received her vaccinations. A week after her vaccinations are complete will be the ideal time for walking your puppy outdoors. However, kindly check with your veterinarian and follow their instructions. 

Check this page to know about canine vaccinations.

If you have a garden, house training gets a lot easier. Potty training a puppy indoors needs more efforts and more patience. Consistency is the key here. Here is a step-by-step guide to potty train your puppy indoors.

1) Know Your Options 

Before you even bring your puppy home, you need to decide on the space you are going to assign for her to pee and what you intend to use for potty training your puppy. 

Some of the options for indoor potty training your dog include:

• Crate training
• Pee pads / paper pads
• Artificial lawn pads
• Doggie litter boxes

Whatever your chosen option to help your puppy house break is, be consistent and results will come by. 

More on the pros and cons of crate training and pee pads for potty breaking in future posts. 

2) Freedom with Restrictions 

Your puppy is your new family member and she has to feel at home at her new and forever home. It is only right to give her freedom to move about in her home. However, before she is house trained, restrict entry to some spaces in your home. Though you have set a place for her to relieve, she would still pee in different places at home as she is just a baby and has little control over her bladder. Till she learns the rights and wrongs and to make potty training easier, it is best you limit access to certain areas at home. 

Is it the same with human children too?

We had our bedrooms restricted in our apartment and Chezhi would do her business more often in areas not assigned for her peeing. One day she would be relieving near the shoe rack, bedroom entrance and kitchen entrance and the next day it would be near the sofa, kitchen entrance and the bedroom entrance. Regardless of how may times and in how many areas she urinated, she ensured she relieved at least once in the kitchen entrance and once in the bedroom entrance. 

I'm sorry, my small legs could take me only till the kitchen entrance...

3) Create a Routine 

Dogs love routine. Once you create a routine and stick to it, they know what to expect and what is expected of them. Schedule a feeding time and ensure she is fed on time. Feeding usually is followed by her urge to empty her bowels, let us say anywhere between 5 to 30 minutes from the time of feeding. You can then lead her to where you want her to pee. Well, things really don't work like a magic. The furry kid may, after all, not pee where you take her and instead pee at the most inappropriate place. It is not her intention to disobey; it is just that she is still a little one. 

Never ever scold her for not peeing where she has to. Patience and consistent training go a long way. Trust me, being a first time pet parent, it was quite challenging to potty train Chezhi in apartment. Thinking back, I now feel I could have handled it far better. With experience comes wisdom.

4) Keep a Watch on Your Puppy

Sniffing and circling are some of the most common signs that indicate your puppy needs to relieve. You can gently guide her to the peeing spot and as you keep repeating it every time she sniffs and circles, she will learn where to pee. Naturally, you got to keep a watch on your puppy all the time to know her signals.

I love being watched...but not when I am hiding

5) Say It In a Word or Two

Your pet has to know what you want her to do. She may be wondering why you brought her to a place while she was circling in the living area. Make things very clear using simple commands. Once you take her to the assigned zone, ask her to relieve. You can say "Do it" or "Pee here". Just you and your family need to use the same word(s) so your furry girl knows what is expected of her. It is also a very healthy way of staying communicated at all times. 

6) Shower Praise on Her and Give Her a Treat

Always praise her a lot when she does it right. Pets love to see our smiling faces and they will associate our happiness with their doing things right. Praising the puppy after she pees at the right place will also make her more confident.  

You didn't praise me enough...

Pets love treats. Giving a treat every time they pee at the assigned zone will help them to develop the habit of peeing only at the assigned area. 

Despite your best efforts, your puppy can still do her business where she is not supposed to be doing. So, what do you do then? Just clean it up and say not one angry word. Showing anger not only does not help but also scares your puppy and training becomes even more difficult.

Potty training your puppy indoors should be an enjoyable experience for both you and your puppy. Mistakes do happen but the results after consistent training are amazing.