At Arlington Frenchies we understand that potty training your new puppy can be one of the most frustrating aspects of adopting a new furry friend. It makes it especially hard when there is so much conflicting information within the pet community as well as online.
So here is an easy guide for you to follow that includes some techniques and some dos and don’ts that we personally use and have been effective for us. However, it is important to remember that every dog is different, and it might take some time to figure out what works best for you and your little friend. These can also remind your older dog of the rules. This can be necessary when there are significant changes to their environment.
Techniques
Crate Training
Crate training is an important part of any general training for puppies and can be very
effective if done correctly. Many people can be apprehensive about using a crate because it tends to be viewed as prison-like.
However, when done correctly the crate can become a safe space for a puppy that they respect as their own and most importantly it doesn’t not have to be permanent! Both of our adult French Bulldogs free roam in our home, but we were able to use effective crate training in the beginning for both potty and bedtime training.
Step 1: Prepare the Crate
What makes crate training so effective is that they begin to view it and respect it as their own safe place. For that reason, most dogs will not potty in their space. To achieve this you want to make it comfortable for them by adding a bed or blanket and a couple of their favorite toys.
It is also important to choose a crate that is big enough so they can move around, but not so big that they feel comfortable going potty on one side and hanging out on the other. We have found that a medium sized crate works well for one adult French Bulldog, and a large crate for two adults.
Step 2: Supervised Freedom
Now of course we do not want to keep our little friends in the crate all the time, so over time you will increase supervised freedom. This means that when you are able to watch over them, let them roam around the house for a little bit before and after going outside to potty.
Doing it before and after potty time will prevent them from forming a correlation that out of the crate equals potty time. And over time, you can slowly increase the time until they are ready to stay out without direct supervision. From then on you can continue to crate them when your are not home or decide to leave them out.
It is important to be patient with this step and to stay consistent with your puppy. It can take a couple of weeks to fully learn this skill.
Step 3: Reward
Lastly, you want to reward your puppy at the appropriate time so that they create positive correlations with their behavior. This can look like giving them a treat after they potty outside and/or when they voluntarily enter their crate after their time of supervised freedom.
This can also easily be intergraded with the “Observe and Reward” method below.
Observe & Reward
This technique focuses on creating a positive association of going potty at the designated time and place versus another using praise and reward.
Step 1: Observe Potty Time
First, you want to make sure that you are watching your puppy when they go out to potty. This way you can make sure that they are in fact going about their business as they should as well as be able to reward them once they do.
Step 2: Praise & Reward
The most important part is that once you see them go potty, you must immediately praise them with comments like “Yes!” or “Good job!”. This will strengthen their confidence in their behavior and solidify the positive correlation when you proceed to give them a treat to reward them for going potty at the proper time and place.
Potty Command
The potty command is similar to the “Observe & Reward” technique but with a specific command that they can learn. While this my not be necessary for many dog owners, it can be useful for many to reinforce a specific place or time where the dog is supposed to go potty.
Step 1: Choose Potty Command
First, you must chose a command. It can be broad or specific depending on what it is you desire the command to do. For example you could say “potty”, which would simply indicate to your little friend that it is time for them to go potty. Whether that is simply going into the backyard or putting on a leach to go out.
You could also say something like “grass” or “feet on grass”. This is especially helpful if you live in an apartment complex and or you have a porch or concrete pad in your yard. This command can be used to indicate to your dog that they are only allowed to potty in the grass and not in the street or on your porch.
Step 2: Use Potty Command
Secondly, you much teach them the command by using it. You can do this by putting them in the grass and saying “grass” or using a treat or toy to lure them into the grass once you say the command.
This step will require a lot of patience as it might take a while for your dog to catch on to what you want them to do. It is also important that you stay calm and do not repeat the command multiple times in a row because you want them to listen to the command without having to repeat yourself.
Step 3: Praise & Reward
Lastly, as you teach them the command you must immediately praise them with a “yes!” or “good job” followed by their treat or toy once they do the command. Again this is to build the positive correlation between the the command and the behavior.
Dos & Don’ts
Now that you know some of the main techniques that we use for potty training, here as some dos and don’ts that will help you along the way.
DO Start Early
Your Frenchie puppy should be able to have enough bladder control to start potty training between 12 and 16 weeks. The earlier you start the better the correct behaviors will be ingrained into your puppy’s behavior and routine.
DO Be Consistent
It is very important that you stay consistent in the way that you implement any kind of training with your puppy, especially potty training. If you are inconsistent your dog will not properly adhere to the behavior you are trying to teach them and will cause much more mess and frustration for you.
DON’T Use a Bell
Many owners will impanelment the use of a bell at the door so their dog can simply let them know when they need to go potty. While you should do whatever works best for you and your dog, this is not a method we recommend.
For one, this technique can be pretty complicated to teach and let your dog know that potty time is whenever they want. However, many families need their dog to hold it while they are at work or go out somewhere. The bell method teaches them that they can go potty whenever they feel like it, so that poses a problem when you are not home to let them out because most likely they will just do their business by the door.
DON’T Punish or Scold
Lastly, do not ever scold or punish your dog for having an accident. Many people have adopted the punishment method of scolding and shoving their dogs nose in their accident, and/or spanking them. However, this is wildly ineffective and causes emotional distress in your dog that can lead to fear and a reactive personality.
Dogs also do not have good memory and most likely do not remember what they did to get in trouble in the first place. All they know is that their human has gone up to them and hurt them emotionally and physically.
Conclusion
Hopefully this can help you get started on potty training your new puppy. Keep in mind that it is also important to puppy proof your yard or find a safe area near where you live that is free of poisonous plants and hazardous materials. Check out our blog post “How to Prepare for Your French Bulldog Puppy” for a list on what to look for and how to puppy proof your yard.
Please let us know in a comment below which of these worked best for you and if you have any questions! Have fun potty training!
Alex Holman-Franco
Arlington Frenchies
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