How to potty train your four-legged friend without the fuss
Dogs are more than just man's best friends, they are a part of the family. As much as we love and take care of our dogs, having them as house pets can come with challenges, one of those challenges being potty training.
POLOKWANE – Unfortunately, just like human babies, puppies also need to be trained to use the loo in the right place which requires a lot of work and patience.
Co owner of Woofels Pet Salon and Pet Shop, Rannie Wilson explained that you have to start potty training dogs at an early age; “The younger you start them, the better.”
She stressed that getting your dog accustomed to anything means you have to start early. “Start from as early as fifteen weeks old in order for them to get used to it. Waiting until they are older will be more challenging, despite dogs being clever.”
Her preferred method of potty training is to use a pee pad. She explained…
“Its not something that they wear like a nappy, it’s a piece of paper that looks like a nappy that is put on the floor and when the dog urinates on it, a smell is released which lures the dog to the same place every time it wants to urinate… and that’s how you start potty training,” she explained.
She added that the pee pad should be in close vicinity to the puppy and as the dog gets older, you can move it further away. “It is important to start slow. Due to the fact that a puppy needs to urinate every 45 minutes, it is advisable to keep the pad close by so when they get the urge to urinate and the pad is to far away, the dog wont make it, they will make a mess on your floor/carpet.”
Rannie said that although it’s possible to potty train a dog that’s older, it’s going to take a much longer than it would to train a puppy.
She added that it’s also not possible to potty train two male puppies in one house because males are territorial. They pee on things to mark their territory.
