How to House Train a Puppy: The Essential Beginner's Guide

House Training A Baby Dog

If you are thinking about house training a puppy, I would highly recommend it. They don't make most noise they are very playful and highly entertaining. You will receive an abundance of joy, laughter and fall in love with these little creatures.

The earlier you start potty training your puppy the better. House training a puppy is not as difficult as most pet owners think. The key is potty training the puppy is first of all to understand your puppy and understand what the puppy needs. It may be challenging at times for the puppies to fully control their bladder themselves until they are about four months old. As a pet owner do not be discouraged by the numerous accidents in your quest for potty training. Patience should be maintained at all costs and you will reap the dividends ultimately after a couple of months. 

Becoming irritated and inconsistence with your training will only extend the process. You want to end this chapter of accidents in the house as soon as possible. The fifteen tips below will only help to speed up the process of potty training.

Below are some tips that will accelerate puppy potty training.

•      Let your puppy sleep in their crate. Puppies hate sleeping in soiled areas. Puppies have much more motivation to control themselves at night if they sleep in their crates.
•    You must only rebuke your puppy for accidents if you catch them in the act. Even after one to two minutes your puppy will not associate controlled action with their accident.
•  Certain scented puppy diapers are very helpful during the first two months. The scent of the pads encourages puppies to relieve themselves using the pads. Take the pads off and start moving them closer to the door over the course of a few days. Finally move the pads outside so your puppy will potty outside.
•    Take your puppy outside right after meals, right before bed and when you wake up. It is important to get into a routine so your puppy knows when they will go outside
•   Monitor water and food intake. Do not leave your dog with water and food when you are gone. This is obviously dependent upon temperature and environment. You do not want your puppy to become dehydrated. Limit water intake a few hours before bed. This will prevent accidents through the night.
•    Spend as much time as you can with your puppy while you are in the house. You want to pick up on their cues of when they need to relieve themselves. You also want to build the relationship with your puppy while potty training. Potty training is not always fun so you need to remain positive with your puppy. 
•   Let your puppy off the leash only after they have taken care of all of their business. Once they are off the leash make sure you have some quality play time with your puppy. This will be their reward for relieving themselves in a timely manner outside.

•    Use key phrases such as "let's potty" or "potty time". Reward your puppy when they do potty in response to the phrase.
• Completely clean up all accidents in the house. The faintest leftover smell can trigger your puppy to have an accident in the same spot.
•   If possible set up a doggy door so your puppy can go outside when they want to. If you can not provide a door use a doggy door bell. They will learn to move the bell when they need to go. Once they are trained to ring the bell you will know when they need to go.
• After physical play in the house you should take them outside to go potty. This should be immediately after play. Waiting only five minutes can be the difference between going outside and an accident.
•        Let your puppy know you are the boss. You are the leader of the pack. Once your dog views you as the leader potty training becomes much easier.
•     When you leave the house set up a confined room with newspaper on the floor. Over time start eliminating the newspaper in the room to only a small section. This section of newspaper will be the spot your puppy will relieve him or herself.
•        Never reprimand your puppy by putting them in the crate. Especially at the beginning you want the crate to be their resting place for sleep. There should be no negative discipline associated with the crate.
•         Focus more on positive reinforcement rather than negative discipline. Reward your puppy for going outside with treats and praise.

Sign Language Potty Training

Sign Language Potty Training

Baby sign language is an outstanding tool for connecting with your pre-verbal infant or toddler.  It is universally known that babies under one can unreservedly recognize simple signs. This understanding facilitates communication.

The different signs showcased by the toddlers and infants for potty time offers your baby a way to tell you they need your help to go to the potty or toilet. Firstly it will be recognition of the needs of their body, perhaps as they go, moments before or after.

Sign language can be termed as a bridge between our pre-verbal babies and our verbal culture. With the use of sign language, you are giving them a 'tool' they may use to communicate with you. The parents or caregivers visual memories are older, so babies readily recognize signs as soon as they are able. Around one year is common for signing to really pick up, though earlier and later are just as possible. Keep practicing, look for recognition of signs before your baby will use them to communicate' to you.

Choosing an apposite sign or natural gesture should be simple, so your baby can unskillfully imitate it, and always be used with the spoken word and loving eye contact.

We are going to tackle the three most important tips that will make it easy for you to sign regularly in your day so that baby sign language and infant potty training are simply integrated normal parts of your lifestyle.

3 Strategies to Remember with Infant Potty training using Baby Sign Language:

1. Make your chosen sign each time you approach the potty

2. Make your sign whenever your babe is on the potty

3. Use the sign to 'ask' if your babe wants to use their potty- respond to their excitement, respect their reservations.

 

With these 3 simple steps you'll be adding baby sign language to your elimination communication (EC) moments with a lot of ease. From time to time .your infant will display great consciousness and control. They'll sign clearly and in a timely way though other times they won't.

Expect your practicing of baby sign language and of EC to ebb and flow. Like any natural process there will be flashes of amazing communication, the reason families get hooked on elimination communication.

See this as an ideal and fleeting sign of the future, not an expectation they'll be toilet independent at a very early age. EC is something you practice regularly; make it a part of your lifestyle, rather than a method or results based activity like the orthodox potty or toilet training.

Last and not least, Baby Sign Language and EC are great partners in helping your child to communicate with you as soon as they are able to. You'll gradually reduce your use of diapers or cloth nappies, helping in conserving the environment, saving you money and best of all, enjoying a new aspect in the bond you share with your baby.

Infant Potty Training Tips: Starting Elimination Communication Early

Infant Potty Training Tips
 
The most essential tip for successful infant potty training is time. Moms are always busy. There's cooking to do and minding the house and husband apart from keeping an eye on the baby and if mom is employed, the likelihood of potty training an infant seems far-flung. If this stops you from infant potty training, these simple tips will ease your load and help you manage baby's potty time.

In the first few weeks of infant potty training it will be difficult because you and baby need will rest after the whole day of training. But this time can be best used to observe baby's elimination schedule. 

It is best to ask yourself some of these questions, baby settled on a regular rhythm? Is baby toilet active during day time or night time? Knowing all these will help you or your caregiver roll out a working system to train baby.

Design the baby's day and night elimination schedule so you can allocate the daytime training to your caregiver and do the night routine with the help of baby's Dad. This way, the training won't disrupted and confuse the baby. On weekends take the day time load.

It is good to let baby wear cloth diapers so she learns that being wet is not comfy. This is the opposite with disposable nappies where they absorb all the wetness leaving the baby still dry. Though these are opportune for the parents, they will not develop good hygiene habits and most of the times lead to diaper rash and irritation. Chances are baby won't shed her nappies for cloth diapers or knickers and it will be difficult to introduce the potty routine.

Training the caregiver and Dad in the proper reading of the baby's body signals and show them how the baby should be handled and in no way should they hurry the baby or lose their temper - infant potty training is never easy. But they will have to learn eventually.

Involving Dad in training the baby to recognize the sensations leading to elimination, does not only ease your load, it also eases his too. His participation also ensures bonding between father and daughter (or son). So no matter how busy you are, there's Dad who can take over the task anytime.

Toilet Training Infants and Toddlers: An Age-by-Age Guide

Toilet Training Infants And Toddlers

The question many parents and caregivers ask themselves is when can a baby learn to control his bladder? To answer this question we are going to review what other parents and caregivers say.

A baby can learn to control his bladder when he is provided with the opportunities to do so. This can be done using elimination communication anytime in the early stages of life and even early toddlerhood. Experts have established that infants possess the physical capability to delay elimination and respond to cues to use a potty as early as two or three months.

When can we can we say that babies are considered officially toilet trained?

Toilet training greatly depends on your definition of what toilet training is. Some parents and caregivers claim that being potty-trained means that most of the poops and pees end up in a toilet with only the occasional accident. Others say that being potty-trained means a child must self-sufficiently, without any parental help, use the potty and never have an accident. The child with a parent that follows the first scenario as a definition will be easily potty trained much sooner than the child of the second parent.

Does early toilet training help you save money?

Early potty training can save you thousands depending on how early you start. Once your child is toilet trained you will save money on diapers, diaper wipes, clothes (yours and baby's) that become soiled due to diaper blow-outs, and water and laundry soap if you are using cloth diapers.

When is it recommended to start elimination training for infants?

You can start elimination training method with the newborns. Elimination communication practices are intended towards teaching parents to understand their young infant's elimination habits and how to respond to their cues.

Here below is what the experts say about elimination communication?

"There is no evidence that waiting to potty train children benefits them in any way. In fact the continued delay in training has created problems for them that are only now being recognized and explained." Diaper -Free Before 3 by Jill M. Lekovic, M.D.

"There is little question that children can be toilet trained by one year of age" Pediatric Annals, May 1999

"There is no specific age when children become aware...of their toileting needs. We should offer them cues to tune in to the signals from their bodies (see your baby flushed and grunting, take him to the potty...)" Diaper -Free Before 3 by Jill M. Lekovic, M.D.

"Infants do gain a lot of experience eliminating into a little potty, and the results are often impressive. Many six-month-olds who have been worked with from birth rarely wet the bed or have accidents." Early-Start Potty Training by Linda Sonna, Ph.D.

Concisely, Infant Potty Training is a cooperative process that involves the management of the baby’s hygiene usually in combination with cloth diapers. Diapers are used casually as needed with this approach, often part-time. Toilet training a toddler is an aim oriented activity involving discouraging  diaper usage quickly after a child has worn diapers full-time for two or three years.

Finally, with infant potty training, your baby has the chance to communicate pre-verbally, to indicate their need to use the potty now and then from their earliest abilities.

Toilet Training Essentials: Everything You Need to Get Started

Toilet Training Essentials

Toilet training success will only be achieved by one making sure that they have the all the essential equipment and supplies needed before commencing the process. This is the top secret to of most toilet trainers. Ensuring that you have all the necessities needed eases this transition and also saves you time.

In this article we are going to review some of the most essential toilet training equipment and supplies to ensure that you and your toddler have a smooth sail as you embark on your transition from diapers to the real deal.

Potty Chair: These stand-alone potties are the impeccable size for petite learners and come in a variety of colors and are designed with familiar cartoon characters that your toddlers are bound to enjoy. A kid-size potty will be easier for your toddler to use and less intimidating than a traditional toilet, and it can be easily moved around the house if need be.

Seat Reducer or a potty seat:  These are much smaller and less expensive than the potty chairs; a seat reducer (or potty seat) is placed on top of a traditional toilet seat and reduces it to a child-friendly size. Seat reducers mostly have colorful designs and are accompanied with a padded cushion for added comfort. Most seat reducers have handles for easy removal and storage therefore they can be placed on top of the toilet and removed with a lot of ease.

Potty Stool: can either be made from a small plastic or wooden material and the stool will help your child get up on to a seat reducer or the potty seat and sit on the toilet. It also gives your child a sense of safety and stability, and can help get her in the right position for using the bathroom. The potty stool also comes in handy for lifting kids up to the sink and faucet level to wash their hands. Some potty chairs convert into or can be used as a stool to cut down on clutter in the bathroom.

Toilet Paper/Flushable Wipes: Toilet paper is one of the standard essentials in your loo, but pick up a pack or two of flushable wipes, which are similar to baby wipes but disintegrate more easily and are safer for plumbing. These wet wipes are softer than toilet tissue and more accustomed to your child, they make cleanup faster. Ensure that they are attuned with your plumbing.

Kid-Friendly washing Soap: Potty training also involves teaching good hygiene, so choosing a hand soap that will encourage post-potty hand washing comes in handy here. Instead of going for regular bar or liquid soap, consider stocking up on foaming soap. Toddlers will love the bubbles, and there are easy, inexpensive recipes online to make your own once you have the pump dispenser.

Comfortable Undies: Cool big-kid under wear will be key motivator in helping your child make the transition beyond diapers.  Excitement is key element to successful potty training. Consider taking your potty trainee to the store with you to pick out his first pack featuring different colors, patterns, characters, and themes.

Easy On-and-Off Pants: During those first few days, weeks, and months of potty training, avoid the rompers, overalls, and button-up pants and instead go for easy on-off pants and shorts with elastic waists. Avoid pants with zippers because they will need to be unzipped. Your child will still be learning the sensation of needing to go, so you don't want to waste any time with tricky clothes; you'll want to be able to get the pants off in the shortest time possible, by either you or your child. The aim is to train your child to be self-sufficient enough to take off her pants to use the bathroom, so choose a style that will be simple enough for her to manage.

Training pants: Training pants come in both disposable and reusable/washable styles and are designed to let your child feel wetness. This way, he knows when he's gone potty but the wetness is contained so it doesn't soak through clothes.

 
 Progress Chart: Using the potty is a whole new habit for your child, and it can help if she can see, record, and be reminded of her progress. A simple hand-drawn grid decorated by your child will work. The goal is to help her and you have a smooth transition. Hope that this article will be helpful and I wish you all the best.