Above all else, think ahead and be ready!
Okay, here's where to begin:
1. Be sure to take your puppy outside at the following times:
- Before going to bed at night
- As soon as they wake up
- After a daytime nap
- After eating
- After exuberant play
- Whenever you return home after they have been left alone
2. Take your puppy to the same place to toilet each time.
Obviously this isn't forever, but as you start out, choose the same location and stay with your pup, or place them in a playpen. For those who live in apartments, a box of turf or sand on your patio can act as their designated toileting area.
3. While your puppy toilets, say “go pee,” “busy busy,” or “quick quick.”
This will help them build an association between these words and the act of toileting, which will later help them know when it's time to go. Be sure to praise them AFTER they have finished toileting.
4. Make a ‘Zen den’ where your puppy can sleep.
By this, we mean somewhere like a crate or pen where you can put your pup if you are not able to watch them. Puppies are much less likely to pee where they sleep, so this will help prevent accidents. It is important to closely monitor your pup while they are not in their Zen den, though. If they disappear from your sight, they may be off toileting or chewing on something.
5. Accept that your puppy will make mistakes.
Be patient with them, and use your hands only for praise. Do not rub their nose in a mess or get mad after it has been made; this serves no purpose and will only make toilet training more difficult. If your puppy does make a mistake, simply mop up the urine with a sponge. (Do not use bleach or ammonia-based products.) Then, cut off the urine-soaked sponge parts and disperse them around their toileting area. You may also place their poop in places where you do want them to go. Be sure to thoroughly clean the area of the accident so no odour is left behind to confuse them.
6. Keep consistent.
The more you eliminate the possibility of mistakes, the easier it will be for your pup to learn!
7. Feed them, or leave fresh water in areas where you do not want your puppy to go.
This will encourage your dog to toilet in a specific place. Puppies will generally not toilet in areas where they eat, drink, or sleep.
8. Using lavender oil can also help.
Once your puppy associates the smell of the oil with their den—where they do not toilet—you can also add a few drops of oil to water in a spray bottle, and strategically spritz around your house. An alternative would be to add lavender oil to the solution used to mop your floors, in which case they would smell their den throughout your home, not just their crate. (It's important to note, however, that many other essential oils are harmful to pets, and even lavender oil should be used in small amounts. Be sure to test a small area of your floor first.)
