Free Dog and Puppy Potty Training Tips from Bailey the Golden Doodle

1. My owners...TOOK ME OUT OFTEN

I'm just like you humans, what goes in must come out. That's why it's important to take me out:
-after eating
-after sleeping or taking a nap
-after a play or training session
-on my scheduled intervals - People say a general rule of thumb is that puppies can hold there bladder in his/her age in months + 1. So when I was brought home at 2 months, I could hold my bladder for about 3 hours. Since I am a larger breed dog, luckily for the humans my bladder developed quickly and I found myself holding it a little longer than expected.

One thing the humans did to maximize their sleep time was to limit my water and/or food/treat intake after a certain time of night. They thought they were clever, but I still woke them up to go "potty outside" in the middle of the night, at least in my younger days. Now, I'm a big girl and I can hold it.

2. My owners...TOOK ME OUT THE SAME DOOR, and TOOK ME TO THE SAME SPOT IN THE YARD

This way I learned that if I have to go "potty outside" I run to that same door and scratch my paw. When I got outside to my usual spot, I could sniff around and realize that I have been here before and this is where I "potty." For that same reason, if I had an accident inside the house, my owners did not use ammonia based products to clean my mess. To me it smells like urine and I might come back to that place next time I want to urinate. Use a product such as Nature Miracle that will not only get rid of the stain but also the scent.

3. My owners...SAID TO ME "POTTY OUTSIDE" in a stern voice before they took me out and while I was sniffing for the right spot. This was my command and now I know when they ask me "Bailey, do you have to go potty outside?" I know what I'm expected to do. They seem to say it more frequently when it's raining or really cold out ;-)

4. My owners...IMMEDIATELY REWARDED ME with a treat and a said "GOOD POTTY OUTSIDE" in happy high pitched voice to let me know I did well. I love this part the best, and I'll do any thing for treats. For health reasons my owners usually stick to milk bones or a healthy dog treat as opposed to a high fatty treat.

5. My owners...PAYED ATTENTION TO MY BODY LANGUAGE. When I have to go, specifically number 2, I usually pace back and forth before finding my spot. Other dogs maybe different, but pay close attention to your dogs body language and you'll usually be able to tell when I have to go.

6. My owners...PUT ME IN MY CRATE WHEN THEY COULDN'T SUPERVISE ME. Crate training not only kept me out of trouble when the humans weren't home, but it also helped me to learn to hold my bladder. Since I am a pack animal, I enjoy my crate as it feels like my den. My den is where I have to live and sleep so I don't want to potty in my den.

I still think it's fun to mess with the humans and cause them stress and anxiety so I admit I still have dog obedience tricks to learn. At least that's what they tell me anyway...well that and "no Bailey" or "drop it Bailey," and of course "bad dog."

Sit, Stay Fetch - One of best online dog training programs available

Healthy Food for dogs like me - Homemade recipes for healthy dogs food and snacks.

Dog Food Secrets - An interesting spin on dog food

Dog N Puppy training secrets - 'Nuff said