Training Tips

According to the AKC, a general rule of thumb is that puppies can hold their bladder for one hour per month of age + 1. So, if a puppy is 4 months old, it can only hold its pee for 5 hours. The size of the breed will also play a factor in how long they can hold it. Puppies less than 16 weeks old also cannot control their bladder yet. 

Puppies learn best with a consistent schedule. Crate training can be helpful in potty training as well because puppies generally do not want to pee in a confined space. Information on how to choose the correct crate size is located in the crate training section. 

To start out, take your puppy outside once every 30 minutes. Using the leash helps they get used to being on one and pottying on one as you will want them to be able to go potty on walks at some point. Stand outside with them in one area for 5 minutes. Standing still will give them less area to explore and get them focused on pottying quicker. 

If they go pee or poop, praise and/or reward immediately when they go potty, not once they get inside. When praising be excited and use a happy voice. "Good boy/girl, you went poop/pee/potty!!!"

If they do not go after 5 minutes, put them in a confined area, such as a crate, or on area where you can supervise them for 10-20 minutes. After 10-20 minutes have passed, take them back outside and try again. If they start to sniff around, circle, or whine, and act like they may need to go out within those 10-20 minutes, definitely take them outside. The more accidents you can prevent, the more successful your potty training will be. 

Your puppy will most likely need to potty when they wake up in the morning, after they eat a meal, after they play, and after they take a nap. 

After the puppy has successfully done their business, give them some off-leash fun time! Supervise them and play with them. This teaches them that pottying outside leads to more fun. Do not confine them right after they have gone potty, this can teach them that pottying means the fun ends and they might start to wait longer and longer to go potty. 

Repeat this process throughout the day and give them lots of chances to potty in the appropriate areas. The more they get it right and are rewarded, the quicker they will learn the routine. 

Do not punish or scare your puppy if they are having an accident. Distract them by a light clap or by saying something. If you punish or startle them it may teach them not to go potty in front of you, which could lead to them having accidents behind the couch where they are private.

We do not recommend potty pads as they may teach your puppy that it is okay to potty in the house on soft surfaces. Puppies may also chew them up and accidentally eat them, which could cause an intestinal blockage. 

Crate training can be a good way to keep your dog safe and contained when they cannot be supervised. It also helps them have their own safe space they can go to when they want to take a nap or need a break from stuff going on around them. 

How to choose the right size crate

• You want to choose a crate that is durable and comfortable for the dog. You do not want the kennel to be too big. They should have enough space to stand with ease, fit through the door effortlessly, and be able to turn around comfortable. They should be able to sit in the crate with at least 2 inches of clearance above their head and they should be able to fully extend their legs if they are laying on their side. 

• You do not want the crate to be too big especially when potty training as this can lead to the puppy having accidents in their kennel. 

• It may be best to purchase new kennels as your puppy grows to make sure its the correct size. Some kennels have removable dividers that you can place in the kennel to make sure it is the correct size.

Crate training

• Start by making it a game. Toss a piece of food or a small treat into their kennel and say "Kennel up" or "Crate" as they run in and get their reward. Repeat 15-20 times per session and start to move further away from the crate before you toss the food. With these repetitions we are working towards the puppy running into the empty crate on command and you reward after they go in. 

• Do not overdo the crate confinement right away. A puppy can be crated overnight to sleep and for up to 4 hours a day, but if you are gone loner, they need more space to potty because they cannot control their bladder yet. A small room or exercise pen can work if you will be gone for longer periods of time. 

• If your puppy barks or cries while in the crate, try to ignore them. Do not release them until they are quiet. Giving them any sort of attention or releasing them while they are noisy can reinforce their noisy behavior. If you need to let your puppy out but they are being noisy, try making an unusual noise, this will make the puppy be quiet while they try to figure out what the noise was. Quickly release them from the crate while they are quiet. 

• Some people use dog beds, blankets, or towels in the crate to make it more comfortable, but this is not always the best option. some dos may tear apart and shred the bed/blanket/towel, or they may use it to pee on. Some dogs actually prefer harder surfaces as well. 

• You should also make the crate a fun experience. A Kong toy filled with peanut butter that's been frozen will give them an enjoyable activity to work on and make being in the crate a fun and stimulating experience. 

• You can also make the crate a fun experience by playing games where the dog goes into the crate on their own by throwing a ball in there while playing fetch or hiding treats in there for the dog to find. 

• Start with small steps with leaving the dog in the crate, start out with shorter time increments and then slowly start to make them longer, don't immediately jump to leaving them in a crate for 8 hours if they are not used to it. 

• Do not use a retractable leash. These leashes allow dogs to pull and go wherever they want to. They are also more likely to break than a regular 6ft leash. 

• Start by getting the puppy used to wearing a collar or harness and leash. Put them on them for short periods of time and make it fun - play with toys and treats. 

  • • Some harness can make it easier for a dog to pull. If you want to use a harness, use a no pull harness to avoid extra pulling. 

• Keep the puppy inside in a calm, distraction-free area and while they are wearing the leash, call them to you and reward with a treat. 

• Once they are comfortable with wearing the leash and collar inside, try to walk a few steps and keep treats in your hand and lure them to walk with you. Reward and praise when they walk next to you! 

• One they are comfortable walking on a leash inside in a calm, distraction free environment, step outside to a quiet area and repeat the previous step while luring with treats if needed. 

• As the leash skills get more confident, you can start to gradually up the distractions in the environment. 

• You can work on teaching the puppy not to pull by standing still and not walking every time they pull. This will teach them that if they pull, they do not get to go anywhere. Call the do back to you, reward them, and start walking again. Repeat if they go back to pulling. 

• If the puppy sits or lays down and refuses to walk, take a few steps away, call them, and try to lure them forward with treats. Repeat with the lures until they learn that walking on a leash is enjoyable. Do not drag or pull them to get them to walk. 

• If your dog is being reactive towards cars, people, or other dogs on your walk, try to work on the Look at That game to desensitize him to triggers you run into on your walks. 

• If you want to work on desensitizing your dog to something, you may need to do some structured training using the "Look at That" game. The goal of this game is to get your dog to not fixate on the trigger by teaching them if they look at the trigger and then look back at you, they will be rewarded. Each dog has its own threshold. One dog may only be able to focus on you if the trigger is 50 feet away, while another can handle 10 feet. If the dog barks, lunges, or fixates by staring and has stiff body posture, they are above threshold. You need to move further away from the trigger. You are at threshold when your dog will respond to you calling their name. If they are not responding to you calling their name, you need to move even further away. 

• Once you determine what threshold your dog can handle, you can start to work on creating a conditioned response. You're going to need very high value treats. A clicker may be helpful as well. To shape the conditioned response, you are going to click (or praise) and reward your dog every time they look at the trigger. You might have to put the treat in front of your dog's nose the first few times you click or praise. The dog will start to understand that a click or praise means a treat is coming. 

• After they understand a click or praise means they get a treat, you are going to only reward if they look at the cat and then back look at you. 

• If they remain calm and relaxed while looking at the trigger and is reliably looking at the cat and then back to you, you can slowly start to move closer to the trigger. If the dog becomes fixated when moving closer, you need to move back until they are under threshold again.  

• The more often you work on this training, the more the dog's threshold will decrease and the closer they will be able to be to the trigger without fixating on it. You are going to want to continue practicing the Look at That game frequently until they can be right next to the trigger without any issues. 

• Other factors that will also affect the speed of this conditioned response are; how much you practice, the types of treats you use, and your dog.

Do:

• Wait until your dog is not looking at you and then say the name in an excited and happy tone. As soon as your dog turns to look at you, mark this with a clicker or a word to let the dog know this is the right reaction, a word like “yes” or “good,” and then immediately give your dog a treat. Repeat this process several times throughout the day, and soon your new family member will whirl around every time he hears his name.

• If you’re having trouble getting your dog to respond, move to a less distracting and smaller area or try changing treats to something of higher value to the dog – such as small pieces of cooked chicken breast.

• Once your dog responds to their name consistently, try upping the ante. Move across the room and say their name. Or say their name and wait until they look at your face, rather than just turning toward you, before giving the treat. When you get the attention you want every time, try intermittent treats but always give verbal praise. Add distractions and move the lessons outside on a longline once they are consistent inside. Using a longline allows you to help encourage them to come to you with a little leash pressure if they get distracted. 

• You can play the name game any time. This works best when you have two people sit across from each other with treats and take turns calling the dog and rewarding whenever the dog responds and comes to your call.

• Consistency is important, so you want to reinforce this behavior many times – first every time and then intermittently – until you get an automatic, solid reaction. Eventually, your dog will respond to their name for the praise and love you give – and treats won’t be necessary.

Don’t:

• Don’t practice off-leash in a large area (like a fenced yard) where your dog can drift off and become distracted; if you must practice outside, it is better to keep the dog on leash. Generally, it is best to start inside where there are fewer distractions.

• Don’t say the dog’s name multiple times – BuddyBuddyBuddy– or they will begin to require that repetition before they’ll respond. Say their name once, and when they respond, praise and reward them immediately. 

• If your dog doesn’t respond immediately, don’t start shouting their name. Instead, try walking with them away from whatever is distracting and try again, or move to a completely different area with fewer distractions. Do not start training in areas with more distractions until you get a perfect response consistently in lower distraction areas.

• Don’t say your dog’s name before every command you teach them. You should be able to say, “sit,” “stay,” or “down” without repeating the name before every command.

The best ways to teach a dog to sit is by luring them with treats and also by capturing the behavior. 

Capturing the behavior - Every time you happen to find your dog in a sitting position, praise "Yes! Good Sit!!!" and reward with a treat. 

Luring - Start with your dog in a standing position and hold a treat by their nose. Say sit and slowly lift the treat over their head and towards their back end. As they lift their head to follow the treat, their back end will slowly drop to the ground. As soon as they are in a sitting position, click or praise them and reward them with a treat! 

Repeat until they are reliably following the lure into the sitting position. Next step is to fade out the lure by using your empty hand to lure and signal them to sit, praise and reward once they are in a sitting position! 

Other tips 

Do not push down on your dog's hind end. If you need to help guide their hind end, use a scooping motion behind their hind legs to guide their hind end to the ground. 

The best ways to teach a dog to down is by luring them with treats and also by capturing the behavior. 

Capturing the behavior - Every time you happen to find your dog in a down position, praise "Yes! Good down!!!" and reward with a treat. 

Luring - Start with your dog in a sitting position and hold a treat by their nose. Say down and slowly lower the treat and lower it down towards their front paws and then away from them, in an "L" shape. As soon as they are in a down position, click or praise and reward them with a treat! 

Repeat until they are reliably following the lure into the down position. Next step is to fade out the lure by using your empty hand to lure and signal them to down, praise and reward once they are in a down position! 

Other tips 

Training while your puppy is tired, like after a walk or play time,  can make them more willing to lie down. 

Do not force them into a down. If you press down on them it and have the opposite effect and may frighten them. 

If they are struggling with the lure, you can lure them under a chair or your legs, so they have to lie down to fit under it. Praise and reward immediately when they get into the correct position.