Puppy potty training can be one of the most frustrating aspects of bringing a new dog home. Potty training is most definitely challenging, and it takes a lot of effort and determination from the dog owner for the event to be successful. Fortunately, there are several spray products on the market that can help make the feat of puppy potty training much more successful and tolerable.
Puppy Potty Cycle
The first the dog owner must understand about their new puppy is its potty cycle. Generally, the number of months old that a puppy is will be the equivalent of how long it can hold its urine. For example, a one month old puppy would have a urinary retention rate of 1 hour, and a six month old puppy should be able to hold its urine for 6 hours. In order for puppy potty training to be effective, it is paramount to understand this concept. Working with this idea, you can then build a puppy potty training schedule to coincide with your schedule and the puppy’s elimination needs.
Another aspect of puppy potty training that is important to learn is that young pups have not yet learned to sense the need to urinate or defecate. With that in mind, it is crucial to implement a schedule within the first few months of life so that the puppy will learn to associate the schedule with the need to eliminate.
Spray Remedies for Puppy Potty Training
Once you have developed a schedule for the puppy, the next step is teaching the puppy where he or she should eliminate. This, too, can be a difficult task. Again, because puppies cannot sense their needs to potty, it can be difficult to tell when and where the puppy will choose to go, so it is the position of the dog owner to enforce boundaries.
One method that has worked very well for puppy owners is a spray remedy. There are sprays that are made specifically for puppy potty training which will repel them from urinating or defecating in specific areas of the home, as well as sprays made to attract them to certain areas of the yard and encourage proper elimination. Both types of sprays use scent as either a deterrent or an attractant. With a deterrent spray, you can spray areas of the carpet where the puppy has improperly urinated, therefore discouraging him from repeating the act. With attractant sprays, you can spray them on newspapers, puppy pads, or out in the yard where the dog has eliminated to encourage proper elimination.
If you are interested in trying a home remedy spray, you can combine one part water and one part vinegar contained in a spray bottle. The scent of vinegar is detestable to dogs, so you can use this spray remedy to effectively detur your puppy from potting in an inappropriate spot.
The Bottom Line
There are several steps that need to be taken to ensure effective puppy potty training, but keep in mind that spray agents for puppies are a great way to gain control over the potty situation. Not only can they dramatically cut down the time that it takes to potty train a puppy, but they can also help to keep your house clean.