Just imagine taking home a puppy that has already had all this wonderful potty training foundation laid out for them!
Yes, We Litter Box Potty Train!!!
When you get your puppy from us, he or she will have had a solid start on litter box training, which we think is critical early training for all young Maltese. Here at T&C Maltese we make sure all of our puppies go to their new homes with a head start in life. How do we do that? Well, we train our puppies to potty in a Alfalfa pellet litter box. We have tested many different systems to potty training our puppies, and litter box potty training with alfalfa pellets has been the best. Just imagine taking home a puppy that has already has all this wonderful potty training foundation laid out for them!
As a dog breeder and dog owner, I’ve had my fair share of experience potty training dogs and puppies. I’ve tried different methods throughout the past years and have developed a system that’s worked quite well for myself as a breeder and a dog owner, as well as the families who buy our puppies. Most families are amazed at how easy their T&C Maltese puppy is to potty train in comparison to other puppies they have raised or bought elsewhere. This will most likely make the potty training process and the first weeks with your puppy a dream instead of a nightmare.
There is a common misconception that potty training shouldn’t begin for a puppy until they are 12 weeks old because they can’t hold their bladder until then. In reality, I start working with the puppies on potty training as early as 3 to 3 1/2 weeks old. I will then rearrange their whelping area into their nesting area in a way that designates a clean nest area and a potty area (litter box). This will teach the puppies that it’s ok to go in a designated area, not just anywhere they like.
The puppies naturally want to be clean, so our system works very well. The fact that our mommy dogs also use potty litter boxes helps too, as she will teach them to go in the box, while keeping the nesting area clean during this initial stage. If I have a momma dog that came to us from a different breeder and wasn't litter box trained, I will train the puppies myself. At this point we start using Alfalfa pellets in the litter box. After every meal I will place all puppies in the potty area. As they finish potty I will place each one (one by one) back into the nest area where is all nice and clean. If they potty in the nest area, I immediately change all the nest bedding.
As puppies start to understand eliminating in the potty box, we are able to give them more space to explore, and once they master that area, they finally graduate to the third stage, and have full access to the entire puppy pen. Potty training requires lots of patience, laundry loads, lots of cleaning, disinfecting and vigilant watch over your puppy. It’s a 24 hour job in and of itself. This is our successful potty training system featured in our T&C Maltese program.
Setting up your puppy area at home
Set up your pen and place the crate or bed inside the pen. Now you have a designated sleeping area. Just outside of the crate or bed is where you should place your litter box with alfalfa pellets. Also give your puppy a small play area so the pup can feel safe and comfortable. Setting up your own set up similar to ours here at T&C Maltese, will help make your puppy's transition so much easier. If you have to leave the puppy for more than an hour or two, it’s only fair that you give them a spot where it’s ok to sleep, potty and play. They can’t hold their bladder very long at this age. You may also place their food and water in the pen.
Teaching your puppy to potty outside
At this point your puppy only knows to potty on alfalfa pallets in a litter box. To teach your puppy to go potty outside you can take some alfalfa pellets and sprinkle a bunch in a spot in the yard where you want your puppy to potty. "Sniff-sniff-sniff ... Oh, look! A toilet!" This is one of the easiest ways to teach your litter box trained pup to "go" in a specific part of the yard. The pellets will break down over time, but their scent will linger in the soil. Another way to train your puppy to go outside is put the whole litter box outside. When you see him investigating where the box used to be in his pen, you can cheer "Let's go outside!" and take him to it. Be alert! He may start indicating the door on his own trying to figure out how to get to his box. Hooray! Once he's running to the familiar box in its new location, you can gradually minimize the visual of the box until it's just a few pellets on the ground. How long does house training take? As long as it takes. Less time if you are an undistracted and diligent coach!