If Christmas brought along a new set of furry paws into your home, then toilet training your pup will be much of your focus in the upcoming weeks.

 As one of the most vital training periods of your dog’s life, getting this stage right can save you lots of time and stress. 

Reinforcing and rewarding your puppy’s behaviour is vital when training your new pooch to do their business outside. So, to make life a little less stressful this January, here’s our top tips when potty training your puppy. 

Be Patient

There is no better training tool than patience. Accept there will be accidents and occasional mess but this is all part of the learning experience and before long, your puppy will understand the importance of going to the toilet outside. 

Invest in puppy training pads but don’t rely on these too much as rewarding your puppy for toileting on these pads can encourage this more than going outside. 

Show Positive Behaviour 

Even with us humans, there is no better reinforcement than positive behaviour. It is essential that you never punish your dog for having an accident outside - this can prolong toilet training and have a detrimental effect on your dog’s behaviour. 

We always encourage new owners to overly praise your new puppy when they visit outside to do their business. Ways to show praise could be as follows: 

• Raise the pitch of your voice to show excitement when saying well done 
• Show your puppy more attention when they go outside 
• Reward with a treat or playful activity. 

Repeating this positive reinforcement will have a better impact on your puppy and soon they will associate toileting outside with rewarding behaviour from you. 

Reward is Vital

Rewarding your dog in their puppy stages is crucial for reinforcing positive behaviours. They will take this training into their adult life and soon associate behaviours with making their owners happy and gaining rewards. 

When it comes to rewarding your puppy, keep your treats healthy and low-fat as possible to ensure you are weight-managing your new pooch. 

Best Treats for Potty Training

Our Banana & Pumpkin Healthy Bites are the pawfect reward for any toilet training pup. 

Made with 100% fresh and human grade ingredients, these treats make a delicious reward whilst providing your pup with healthy and wholesome nutrition with each and every bite. 

So, with our top tips and training treats here to help, enjoy chasing around your new set of paws this Winter - we promise you it won’t be like this forever!