Puppy Potty Training for Small Dogs
You can imagine how small the bladders are on small dog breeds (especially puppies) and that’s why when you’re puppy potty training you need a way to watch your puppy all the time… or confine her to her crate when you can’t be around.
I hear what you’re saying, “That’s impossible.” Here’s the trick. Leash her to your chair or belt to keep her close. When you’re busy, put her in her crate or restricted area closed off by a baby gate. Every hour take her take her in her litter box or on her paper and say, “Paper.” If she moves off the paper, put her back on.
Stay with her until she goes… then praise her for the great “job” she’s done.
Watch For The Little Signs
Watch for the little ear twitches, the pause mid-step, the sniffing pattern that she does just before she goes. Pick her up and take her to the litter box. If the ultimate goal is to have your pup go outside, I suggest you not train her to go inside with potty pads and then have to retrain her to go outdoors. It just adds to your puppy’s confusion and slows the training down. For complete information on litter box training, see Dove’s “Puppy Crate Training” video in the Just Puppies section. This is just a part of Dove’s complete basic dog training program.
Remember:
- Know where you puppy is at all times
- Place her in her crate or restricted area when you can’t be with her
- Watch for the signs
- If you have a very tiny puppy such as a Yorkie, your pet might prefer using a shallow litter box with shredded paper litter instead of newspaper.
