When your puppy comes home, he is used to going potty outside six times each day to play and potty. They use a litter box inside if they can’t hold it. The key in potty training them at home will be… EVERY TIME they wake up from a nap, the FIRST thing you do is take them DIRECTLY outside to their potty area.  Resist carrying them, because they need to imprint the directions to the door in their minds. Ideally, you will have a specific place in your yard that you plan to use for going potty. This will make for happier owners down the road.  

I will supply you with pellets from their stinky litter box in your puppy care pack.   You then sprinkle some of the litter where you expect the puppy to go potty. That place then has their scent on the pellets. (The pellets turn into sawdust when they’re wet and are totally biodegradable… I just use wood stove pellets from the grange. They’re awesome.) Repeat (in a happy voice)the phrases “Go potty.” And “Hurry up.” That is what they are used to hearing here.  Give them plenty of time. If they don’t go, they need to be crated for a bit until they’re ready to go potty outside.  After they have gone potty they get plenty of free time to play freely and explore their new home. You know they won’t have an accident, because they just went.

The Litter box is mainly there for back up until the puppy is old enough to hold their bladder for longer periods of time. If you need to go somewhere for half a day, which happens no matter how carefully you plan your days around potty training, you can put the puppy in a large kennel, laundry room or bathroom with his litterbox, food and water inside. You can be relatively sure that the puppy isn’t ruining their bladder waiting for you to return. It just gives you a little more wriggle room. Likewise, if you want to sleep through the night, you can use the litterbox rather than waking up (probably once or twice/night in the first week) to take them outside.

You have lots of options depending on your parenting style and your energy level!

Kami LeMoss

Starlight Ridge

Authentic Australian Labradoodles