How to Train Your Puppy to Use a Potty Pad
If you have a new puppy, you know that potty training is an essential part of the training process as your pup adjusts to your new home. Potty training your puppy can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be!
Throughout this guide, we have tips, tricks, and helpful suggestions on how to train your new pup to use their potty pad without worry!
Pad Training Might Only Take a Few Days
You can train your puppy to use a potty pad in just a few days, and it’s actually one of the easiest ways to housetrain. Here’s how:
- Step 1: Put down the potty pad in its preferred spot (such as next to their bed) and bring them over there every time they wake up from naps or when you get home from work.
- Step 2: Give them lots of praise when they go on the pad.
- Step 3: Once they’re going consistently on only the pee pad, move it to see if they recognize the pad and not just the pad placement as their potty area.
Let’s dive a little deeper into those steps below:
Finding The Right Place for the Potty Pad
Choosing the right place for your puppy’s pee pad is important. The best place to put it is where your puppy will be comfortable. We suggest placing it near their kennel or toy bin.
Potty training an 8 week old puppy
When you take your puppy outside to the bathroom, make it an exciting experience for them. Bring them to the potty pad often and let them sniff around, so they know where it is.
Use a Reward System While Potty Training
Now that your puppy knows where the potty pad is and is comfortable with its placement, you should reward him for using it properly. This is important because it will teach your dog that they get a treat if they go potty in the right place!
Once it’s clear that your pup knows how to use the potty pad, start to wean off treats and reward your pup with an excited tone of voice and belly rubs.
Clean Up Accidents Quickly
As soon as your puppy has an accident, clean up the mess with a paper towel. Then use a disinfectant to clean the area and wash your hands. Using a pet specific cleaning product will help eliminate any odor, so your new pup doesn’t associate the accident area with their bathroom again.
It’s also important not to punish your puppy’s accidents. Our advice is to quickly take care of the mess, put your puppy on its potty pad, and ignore their behavior. If that doesn’t seem to work, we suggest reaching out to a dog trainer in your area that specializes in potty pad training.
When you’re working to potty train your puppy, it’s important to remember that they are still young and may make mistakes. If you follow these tips and tricks, we know that your puppy will be fully potty pad trained in no time!
