How to Potty Train a Small Dog

The lesson today is about how to potty train a small dog. If you look at my archives in this How to Train a Dog blog you’ll find 2 out of my first 12 posts are about how to potty train a dog and another one about toilet training a dog. The reason being is that I think it’s really important and you’ll here me say it again and again that potty training a dog is one of the biggest favors you can do for yourself.

My other 2 potty training posts: How to Potty Train a Dog – The Basics & How to Potty Train a Dog.

What small dogs are people usually looking to potty train?

I did a few searches to see what people were looking for and found that many are looking to learn how to potty train a Yorkie, Bichon Frise, toy poodle among others.

Learning how to potty training a small dog will take some patience and consistency from your part. If you stick to a proper training schedule you’ll have your dog potty trained in no time.

Before I get into the actual dog training techniques I want to touch on why potty training a small dog can sometimes be a bit more difficult than potty training a larger breed. In other words, why do some people find it harder learn how to train a Yorkshire Terrier than training a Boxer dog for example.

Why potty training small dogs may be harder...

Many small dog breeders, especially the ones who raise toy breeds such as Pomeranians or Chihuahuas begin by raising them in small whelp boxes. As a result, these young pups learn to eat, sleep and eliminate in the same place. And because of their size they can sleep and eliminate in separate areas of the box. Once you get these puppies you will have to begin to teach them to potty training process from the beginning.

Another factor that may contribute to a longer period when learning how to potty train a small dog is picking them up and taking them to the place where you need them to eliminate. Many owners will pick up their smaller dogs instead of letting them walk to the area they need to go and do their business. Carrying your dog to the potty area should only be done if you catch your dog doing it in the wrong area. Other than that you should always let your dog walk to the potty area just like they would as an adult.

How to Potty Train a Small Dog

Now that we talked about the causes of why smaller dogs like the Shi Tzu may be more difficult in terms of potty training lets talk about some steps you can take to potty train a small dog. Please keep in mind that most of the techniques can be used to potty train a large dog as well.

A crate will go in a long why when it comes to potty training a dog (when learning how to train a dog a crate is one of your best friends). You should buy a crate that is big enough for your dog to be able to comfortably stand and turn around in. It should also allow enough room for you to have a toy or two and a water bowl. When you have a small dog, find the right size crate is actually harder but in a different way. Most crates will be too big and you probably will need to close off an area so it’s not too big. Learning how to potty train a small dog will be easier if your crate is just the right size because your dog will learn to hold it for longer periods of time as they don’t want to mess their sleeping quarters.

You should also line the crate with some newspapers just in case of accidents. Having said that, allow your puppy dog ample opportunity to go outside and relief himself. Take your dog outside after he eats or drinks or after strenuous exercise and if they go praise them lavishly and enthusiastically and you will have your small dog potty trained in no time.

How to Potty Train a Small Dog – Picking up on the signs

I though I should mention this here but keep in mind that applies to both small and large dogs. If you ever see your dog sniffing around or going in circles this is a sure sign that your puppy needs to eliminate.

Also you should know that young puppies no matter what size cannot hold their bladder for too long. As a general rule for every month the puppy is alive you can expect your puppy to hold his bladder for an hour. For example, if your puppy is 3 months old he will probably be able to hold his bladder for 3 hours. By knowing this valuable piece of information learning how to train a dog to potty in the right place should be a bit easier.

Thank you for reading about how to potty train a small dog and stay tuned for some more great posts!

Berto.