Potty Training 101 – It’s Best to Start Early

May 29, 2024

Ah potty training.  The frustrating, but rewarding task of every puppy parent.  Some puppies take just a few weeks before they’re barking at a door, ringing a bell or “telling you” (a yip, paw touch, sitting at your feet) that they need to go outside.  Some busy puppies take months to potty train and it seems like you will forever be cleaning up messes.  One thing is true in all scenarios:  puppies do have accidents, but the puppies that have fewer accidents and catch on to potty training quickly, have begun their training weeks before they transitioned to your home.

Going Potty Outside is Natural!

All dogs (and many mammals) naturally avoid soiling the area where they eat and sleep.  They are intentional to avoid their own waste, so will typically move to another area to potty after a meal.  At Doodle Patch Farm, we begin the weaning process at 3-4 weeks.  During this transitional period, mama dog is nursing her pups less and is cleaning up after them less often.  Puppy teeth begin to emerge, so it’s rather unpleasant for mama to keep nursing.  She begins to grow impatient with the pups and has more desire to play with her pups instead of feed them.

Observation and Positive Reinforcement are Key

At just three weeks we seize the natural instinct of dogs to eat, play and sleep in one area and intentionally move to another area to potty.  We use potty trays with screening on top and potty pads underneath.  We place the potty trays in an extended pen outside the whelping pen.  The extension is a “potty pen” and the whelping area becomes their “eat, sleep, and play pen.”  Pups are fed at the same time four times a day.  More often than not, the pups choose to potty on the potty trays after eating.  When we see a puppy beginning to potty in his living area, we quickly move him to a potty tray.  A consistent schedule and a “potty place” outside of the pups’ living area helps reinforce those natural tendencies to avoid soiling the place where they eat, sleep and play.

Between three and five weeks, we allow the little ones to explore the path between their pen and the exterior door.  We practice crossing thresholds, navigating stairs, and walking on various surfaces.  By the time the pups are five weeks old, we show the pups the path to the outside door and into the grass to “go potty.”  We use the words “Go potty” as soon as they squat and praise with “YES!”  Our goal is that potty training is as simple as teaching your puppy the location of the exit to go outside.  Your puppy’s ability to communicate that he needs to go outside happens naturally as the process is repeated over and over.  Dogs prefer to go outside; so punishment is never appropriate when accidents happen.

Potty Training is Relationship Building

Potty training doesn’t have to be frustrating.  Careful observation of your puppy, limiting the space he has to roam, and lots of praise for getting it right will make potty training an opportunity to build a positive bond between you and your puppy! You can learn so much about your new puppy from careful observation in the first weeks in your home.  Enjoy the process!

One little boy is still available from this litter of Mini F1b Aussiedoodles.  They’re a beautiful colorful bunch!

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Mini Goldendoodle and Standard Aussiedoodle Litter Announcements:

Ivy and Alfie had a litter of 11 Mini Goldendoodles on May 27th!  There are 6 females and 5 males.  These are multigenerational (doodle bred to doodle), and will be the perfect size for apartment dwellers and those who want to cuddle their dog on cold nights.  They’re expected to weigh 18-25 pounds at maturity.  This is Ivy and Alfie’s first litter and they did not disappoint!  There are phantom, tuxedo, cream Partis, and reds.  We love healthy well-balanced, easy to train, compliant puppies at Doodle Patch Farm!  But we also love color, and our beautiful breeding pairs have proven you can have both!

Luna and Jett had their litter of F1 Standard Aussiedoodles born May 26th!  Once again they produced a gorgeous group of merles, phantoms, and tuxedo patterned Aussiedoodles.  These are expected to be 60-75 pounds at maturity.  Their litters have proven to be exceptionally smart and easy to train.

Because both litters were born Memorial Day weekend (wow it was a busy weekend!), we will be giving the pups military names to honor our armed forces.  Of course we expect our families to choose their own names, but giving each pup a name helps us to not only identify each one, but also to see personalities emerge and associate specific traits with a puppy.  It’s all about getting to know our pups before you get to know them for the rest of their lives!