The Most Common Puppy Potty Training Mistakes That You Should Avoid

Do you ever feel perplexed while potty training your puppy? Do you take it outside, but it still pees inside the house? Some puppies are indeed more challenging to undergo potty training than others. Even with all the instructions available out there, potty training a stubborn puppy can be tricky for new dog owners. 

You might be doing your best, but slip-ups do happen, and potty training your puppy may seem to be an unattainable dream at times. However, while you know what to do, you must also know what not to do. The easy route is to hire pet waste professionals and enjoy your day without worries. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you don’t need to potty train your puppy, it only means that you will care less if he poops in the yard.

Here are a few common mistakes that dog owners make while potty training your puppy:

Using Absorbent Potty Pads

Potty pads are great aids that can keep your house clean, but they should not be used as a substitute for potty training your puppy. Using them can confuse your pup and prolong the training process. Potty pads teach your dog that it’s OK to pee inside the house. As a result, they never get to understand when to pee or poop inside and when outside.

Skipping the Process of Crate Training 

An appropriately-sized dog crate can not only keep your pup safe while you are not around but also accelerate the potty training process. Dogs have a natural inclination to keep their space clean, so they don’t like to pee or poop inside the crate. They would usually wait for you to take them outside so that they can do their job.

Expecting Overnight Results

Potty training a stubborn puppy requires patience and time. Do not get overconfident when your pup spends a few clean days. You may start assuming that it’s sorted out, but there might be more work to be done. Don’t be sure of your puppy’s potty training unless it spends several months without spoiling your house. Continue your dog’s potty-training program until your pup completely understands that it has to do the potty outdoors only.

Not Understanding the Hold Times Properly

Puppies may take time to develop control over their bladder, and it would be unfair to force them to hold for a longer time than their capacity. Ideally, convert your puppy’s age in months into hours, which means that a four months old puppy can hold for 4 hours max. However, a playing pup may need to go more frequently, while a sleeping puppy may hold it for longer. So, until you are not sure, frequent toilet trips are always better.

Punishing for Potty Accidents

When a puppy pees or poops inside the house, it’s not their mistake, and you can’t punish them for it. Little puppies are just in the learning phase, and mistakes do happen. Spanking, scolding, or beating the pup will only confuse it and scare it. It may never get comfortable with you, even when you take it outside for potty trips.

Not Giving Attention to the Pre-Potty Cues

Puppies display different behaviors when they want to go out for a potty trip. It’s essential to understand your puppy’s individual signs and postures as a pet owner whenever it tries to tell you that it needs to go. Understand your pup’s body language and know the signs.

These are some common mistakes that many puppy owners make while potty training a stubborn puppy. Try to avoid them, and you will soon get one step closer to gaining mastery over potty training your pup.