How to Make a Puppy Hold Its Potty Without a Crate
- 1). Take the puppy out first thing after it wakes up. Puppies need to urinate right away after waking. It is unfair to expect the pup not to need the toilet through the night in its early weeks with you, so either get up and take it out, or put a plastic sheet covered by newspaper on the floor in case the puppy cannot wait. Also take it outside 20 minutes after eating and after excitement or boisterous play.
- 2). Use a special place outside or in the garden. Stay with the pup and use a specific word, such as "toilet". Eventually the pup will associate the word with what you expect it to do. Praise it when it goes to the toilet. Take the puppy outside every hour or so at first. If you are struggling to establish a routine, write down the times when your puppy eats, urinates and defecates. This should help you form a picture and improve your training plan.
- 3). Use a cheerful approach to the pup. Avoid shouting or punishment for accidents as these are often not within the puppy's control, but an indication of an oversight or inconsistency in your training. Focus on toilet training and keep instructions simple and repetitive. You can train the pup in many ways, but this is an important area, one that you need to get right for the pup's sake and your own.
