How to toilet train your pup?

How to toilet train your pup?

Hello Petarchi Fam!

We hope you are safe and doing well. We all have been living in tough times where it is challenging for our dogs and more so for first time per parents who got home a puppy right before or during the pandemic, due of various precautions we all have been taking and the new social distancing norms that all of us are trying to maintain.

Therefore, we decided that this is probably the right time to launch our blog posts as we have been receiving a lot of queries from various pet parents across India, on how to manage various issues being faced on a regular basis.

As this is our very first blog post we though of starting by covering a very essential topic which can help understand a lot of first time pet parents, on how we can toilet train the pup on our own by knowing few of the most crucial pointers that many fail to understand, which further leads to confusion on both the ends.

Growing up could be difficult and confusing for pups and as pet parents it is our responsibility to understand their needs and provide them constant training and guidance, during the initial months. 

Toilet training is one the most crucial part in raising a puppy and the very first to be addressed as soon you get a pup home, to ensure that there is an effective and clear understanding by the pup about the right/designated peeing and pooping spots. 
Listed below are few pointers that would go a long way to help all pet parents with toilet training their new four legged members:
 
1. Active Supervision - Make sure to manage and limit the opportunities where the pup pees or poops in your absence. As a young puppy would have no understanding about the house rules, he/she would need constant guidance and training.
Few ways that would help in achieving the same:
- active supervision by the house members
- crate training 
- understanding the pup's routine
- designate a space for defecating from the very first day
 
2. Surface Preference - Try and avoid using training pads for toilet training as young pups develop surface preference and each time they pee on a certain type of surface, the probability of peeing on the same surface increases. 
Since pee pads are soft cloth like surface, there is a higher probability of the dog going around and looking for similar surface which makes them further pee on carpets, door mats, sofa etc. due to the similar appearance, making toilet training more complicated for both the pup and pet parent.
 
3. Understanding your pup's schedule - Always take the pup out to the designated spot, for them to pee/poop after the following activities:
- after every meal
- after every play session
- after every nap
 
4. Rewarding for right behaviors - Always reward your pup for defecating at the right spot, to help them form a positive association with that particular place. Rewards could be 
- food
- toy 
- human engagement!
 
5. Be Patient! - Remember that while you are training your pup, they are still young and will take some time and repetitions to understand what is expected of them and so it is very important to be patient during the training phase.
If you still face a problem or your already trained dog starts to relapse, it is advisable to get a vet check done as there could be an underlying medical problem for the same.
For some more elaborated guidance on the above pointers, we are sharing a reference video below which will help you understand and implement the above shared pointers in a much better and structured way for faster results.
Let's make it a happy and easy experience for our little furry friends, understanding their needs, to make sure that they look up to us for guidance instead of feeling scared or confused.
Happy training!
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Video credit - ThatDogGeek
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