Potty training might be the most stressful part of acquiring a new dog. This is especially important if you plan to keep your dog in the house, but it often isn’t an easy process. However, it can be made much easier with some preparation and knowledge.
Are Labs Easy to Potty Train?
The answer is that it all depends on the owner. In most cases, Labradors are not difficult to train. This process can be incredibly hard or relatively easy.
For this article, we will attempt to give you all the information you need to avoid this problem. For starters, you will need to consider the environment in which your dog (and you) will live.
If you live in a rural area where you can allow your dog to run loose, your problem is a little easier. In this situation, your dog should usually do their business outside. Being creatures of habit, dogs tend to fall into a bathroom routine naturally.
If you live in a more urban area, you will need to give your dog an indoor place to do their business. Even if you have a small yard, you probably don’t want to leave your dog out there all the time. In cities, some people steal dogs for terrible purposes.
According to HugPug, There are also different laws and ordinances in place that may govern where your dog can drop their stinky cargo.
In some places, dog feces have become enough of a problem that special laws have been enacted to curb the filth. Check your local laws to be sure.
If you have chosen to keep your dog indoors, you will need to set up a “potty area.” Some owners have been able to train their dogs to use the toilet literally, but this isn’t easy. Dogs are usually more interested in drinking from the bathroom than in using it as intended.
I recommend getting a large plastic tray, like those found in the bottom of small kennels. Head to your local newspaper office and ask them for some excess papers. They will give you quite a bit, so don’t hesitate to stock up.
When your puppy sniffs around suspiciously, please pick them up and take them to the potty area. Be quick about it, or the pup might pee on you.
Once there, make the dog stay on the tray until they do their business. Immediately praise and reward the dog.
It can be expected that a few accidents will occur. As your pup is learning its limits and learning your expectations, there will be a process of trial and error.
Try not to get too mad when your pup uses the carpet. Just scold them and make yourself clear.
Feces and urine are very disgusting, so they can easily make us angry. However, it would help if you remembered to sign up for this when you get a puppy.
A little poo is a part of owning a dog, so respond with a scolding and maybe confinement, but not with rage.
I would also recommend getting a second mop and designating it as the “dirty mop.” This allows you to avoid messing up your good mop with filth and urine. The dirty mop can be kept outside where no one will be forced to smell it.
In some cases, you may have to resort to “crating.” This means that you will place your dog in a relatively small cage for most of their time. When confined in such a space, they will be hesitant to foul the cage because they don’t want to sit in filth.
Having thus encouraged the dog to “hold it,” we can predict that the dog will want to use the bathroom immediately upon exiting the cage.
As I say, anything you can predict can be controlled. Take them straight from the cage to the potty area.
It is essential to be humane with this method. First, ensure you take the dog out for a bathroom break at least every three hours.
It would help if you also refrained from using this method for more than two weeks.
If you have decided to let your dog do its business in the yard, you will need to train them to alert you when they need to go.
Thankfully, Labradors are an intelligent breed and tend to figure this out with minimal encouragement.
The main thing is to take your Lab puppy outside every 3-4 hours, even if they show no signs of needing to go. Right now, it would help if you established a pattern of behavior. You should praise and reward the dog when they use the yard as desired.
You can bet your pup will drop a load in the house at least once. When they are rewarded for using the bathroom outside, they may expect to be rewarded for using it indoors. From their perspective, this would make sense.
The implied message is: “Hey, this is where you’re supposed to do it!” Don’t worry; your Lab will get it before long. However, you must firmly nip this idea in the bud by disciplining the dog and taking them outside immediately after.
There is no reason that you cannot use swimming as a reward when training your dog for outdoor potty use.
According to ScienceDirect, Labradors are natural water dogs, and they love a good swim. When your puppy goes in the appropriate place, take them down to the water for a swim, if possible.
It should also be noted that removing the smell of dog urine or feces from your house is very important whenever an accident occurs. Any residual smell will make the dog more likely to use that spot again. Please clean it up with baking soda to kill the smell.
As you can see, potty training a new puppy is always a big chore. However, experienced dog owners can handle this issue smoothly and gracefully; other dog owners cannot. Your goal is to be this kind of owner.