One of the first things you’ll need to focus on after bringing a Labrador puppy home is potty training or house training.
However, you must be aware of what to anticipate while toilet training a Lab puppy. You must also be ready with patience and commitment since house training can be challenging at first.
Trust that your Lab puppy will put up his best effort to learn everything he can during each training session when it is time to begin training.
As long as you are committed to giving your puppy the best chance for success, housebreaking him will be simple.
He is sharp and simple to teach. As soon as you bring your Labrador Retriever puppy home, you may start training him about where to go potty and how to communicate his requirements to you.
As long as you are bringing him to his designated toilet areas as soon as you can, he will quickly pick everything up. It will take some time and repetitive training for him to connect the dots, though.
What Is The Best Age To Start Potty Training A Labrador Puppy?
Between 4-6 months of age, Labradors are normally entirely potty trained. Puppies can partially regulate their bladder, but they quickly learn where they should go to the bathroom.
By six months, the majority of Labradors are fully housebroken, however, accidents can still happen up to a year old.
Some puppies will pick things up faster than others, especially if they get excited easily! Never discipline your Lab puppy for the occasional accident on the toilet because this is common.
Certain factors affect how long it could take for you to successfully potty train a Labrador puppy. Let’s look at them.
History
Toilet training may take a little longer for Labrador puppies from shelters or those living in unsanitary conditions (such as those bred in puppy mills). Before they can pick up new, preferable habits, they must first break old ones. For instance, you shouldn’t utilize a crate if they have been allowed to muck around in it.
The Size of the Puppy
Size may influence when your Lab will become toilet trained. Smaller dogs are more challenging to housebreak. Therefore, if you have the youngest litter, he can take longer.
How come, though? According to some medical professionals, smaller dogs have a greater metabolism and a smaller bladder, which causes them to urinate more frequently and impairs potty training.
Although this notion has not been proven, a study of 735 dogs showed that toilet training for smaller breed dogs takes longer than training large breeds.
Wrong Training Techniques
Pet owners who incorrectly adhere to certain procedures commit several errors. After an accident, yelling, hitting your dog, or rubbing his nose in his poop or urine won’t help and will simply make your puppy fear and distrust you.
Environmental Factors
When your Lab is fully toilet trained will depend on your lifestyle and where you reside. For instance, if you live in a high-rise apartment and it takes you a while to take your puppy outside, it can take longer. Puppy pads or newspaper sheets are suggested in this case.
Health Issues
Your Lab’s time to become potty trained may be affected by certain medical issues. Your dog may have a urinary tract infection if he can’t learn to urinate inside the house. He might have intestinal parasites like worms if he’s pooping.
Take your dog to the vet to rule out any medical issues if you have any doubts. Your Lab may not enjoy his crate if he has anxiety. This may extend the period of potty training.
Required Training Supplies
Make sure you are prepared in case your new puppy decides to go where it shouldn’t because, in general, a puppy cannot control its urine and bowel until it is 12 weeks old.
You may require the following items during this time to start potty training your Labrador puppy. Make sure they are all brand-name products and pet-friendly.
Pee Pads: Dog training pads are especially useful when your puppy is still being trained to go potty indoors rather than outside. The advantage of a pad is that any mess your puppy generates will be contained in a single area, making cleanup simpler for you.
Stain Remover: Accidents are expected to happen regularly. And for this reason, buying a competent cleaner is crucial. Make sure you have plenty of tiny towels available in addition to a pet.
Dog Pooper Scooper or Scoop Bag: These are also crucial to have. When you need to clean up and eliminate the mess your tiny friend generates, they will be quite helpful. When you take your dog for a stroll, you can carry these in your backpack or even your pocket.
Treats: Food is a common motivator for dogs, so you’ll need to find goodies that your Labrador puppy will like. Give your dog a treat when he obeys your directions and goes to the proper location to help him learn that food only comes after he does the right thing.
What Are The Best Periods To Potty Train Your Labrador Puppy?
Below are some of the best moments to potty train your Lab friend.
- After a nap
- After eating or drinking
- Post playing
- If they are sniffing the ground or going in circles
- When they seem excited
How Long Can My Labrador Puppy Go Without Peeing?
Once you start potty training your puppy, you must regularly take it outside to pee. You may be wondering how often you ought to do this. To know this, we must first discuss how long a Labrador puppy can hold its pee.
For every one month, a Labrador puppy can go hold its pee for an extra hour. Thus, a one-month-old puppy can go an hour without peeing and your eight weeks (one month) old puppy can only hold its pee for two hours.
Nonetheless, to avoid or reduce accidents, it is recommended that you take your dog out to pee every hour. This way, you will have less cleaning to do and your dog will learn when and where to go pee.
The table below shows how often you should take your Lab puppy out for potty breaks:
| PUPPY AGE | POTTY BREAKS (HOW OFTEN) |
| 2 months | Every hour |
| 3 months | 1-2 hours |
| 4 months | 2-3 hours |
| 5 months | 3-4 hours |
| 6 months | 4-5 hours |
Training Tips To Note
Before we delve into the steps you’d need to follow in potty training your Lab pup, here are some tips you should take note of:
- Training should begin right on the first day you bring your new friend home.
- Maintain a regular training schedule.
- Show your dog where you want him to go outside.
- Show him where he will be sleeping, be it in a box or a bed.
- Use hints like “go potty” or “pee-pees” verbally. If you use the same command, it makes no difference what you say.
- Use a rewards-based approach to training and shower your students with praise.
- Establish a timetable and follow it!
- Avoid fussing over your dog in the morning. Get him outside right away.
- When taking your dog to his designated bathroom place, follow the same path.
- Keep trying and be patient.
- Recognize that accidents will occur. Pick up your dog and lead him outdoors to his appropriate bathroom place if you catch him in the act.
- Concentrate your efforts on averting future mishaps.
- Take your Lab’s potty break slowly. Allow him some time to sniff and investigate.
- Since you’ll be busy the first few days, take some time off from work
The Three (3) Methods Of Potty Training Your Labrador Puppy
The Open-Door Method
Go to the Door: Teach your Labrador Retriever puppy to go to the door if he wants to use the restroom outside.
He has several options for approaching this door, including knocking, barking, and waiting for you to answer it.
Take your dog to this door each time you take him outside to use the bathroom. Don’t take your dog outside with you. Before opening the door to let him out, set him down at it and let him a moment.
Time to Go: When it’s time to let your Lab out, lead him to the door and open it before letting him go on his own. Do this when he wakes up from a nap, early in the morning, and when he gets up in the middle of the night to use the restroom.
After Eating: When your Lab puppy is done eating, lead him to the door and instruct him to wait there until you open it. Every time you knock on the door, get down on his level and demonstrate how to do so. Take him outside to use the restroom after every meal.
On the Hour: Your Labrador Retriever puppy should be able to carry it for an hour per month of age, depending on his age.
Take him to the door so he can leave before that time is over. Wait until the two of you are at the door before opening it so he can go.
Practice: Whenever you need to take your Labrador Retriever puppy outdoors to relieve himself, make sure you bring him to the door and leave him there.
Treats: Reward your dog every time he successfully uses the bathroom outside.
Command: As your Labrador Retriever becomes accustomed to coming to that door, consider asking him if he needs to go potty by using a command like “go potty.”
He ought to be able to go to the door to signal to you that he must leave, or if you use the order, he ought to begin walking toward the door on his own.
The Know Your Puppy Method
Sleep and Potty: Note that as soon as your Labrador Retriever puppy wakes up in the morning, he will need to go potty.
He will probably also need to use the restroom after waking up from naps. Your Labrador Retriever puppy may have been awakened by the urge to pee if he is whining and crying.
Meals and Potty: You should note that your Labrador Retriever puppy will need to use the restroom around ten minutes after each meal.
After his meals, you should take him outside for five to ten minutes to get him used to using the restroom outside rather than indoors.
Potty Hours: For each month of age, your puppy may typically wait one hour before using the restroom. Accordingly, if your Lab is four months old, he should be able to go potty after roughly four hours.
Night Time: Your Labrador Retriever puppy will cry out in the middle of the night if you are crate training him. Keep your puppy in an area that is isolated from the rest of the home if you are not crate-training him to prevent accidents inside.
For the first few months, he should need at least one overnight excursion outside.
Treats: Give your puppy a treat each time he relieves himself outside. He will get conditioned to leave the house when he needs to and prevent accidents inside thanks to this positive behavior-based training.
Practice: Your Lab puppy is likely to have more accidents the instant you let your guard down and aren’t monitoring, or paying attention, or if you aren’t allowing him out after meals, upon awakening, or every few hours.
Even though it’s exhausting, stick with potty training, and your Labrador Retriever puppy will be trained sooner.
The Potty Place Method
Select a Place: Select a spot in your yard for your Labrador Retriever to relieve himself. You have a fair chance of keeping the remainder of your yard attractive and clear of dog waste or grass that has died from urine spots if you focus on just one place.
Go Outside: Every time your puppy needs to use the restroom, take him to the same spot in your yard. When he starts to travel on his own, this will prepare him to go to the same location.
Use phrases like “go potty” as you go toward the location so he starts to associate using the restroom with that location.
Know When to go: As soon as your Labrador Retriever puppy awakens from any nap or nocturnal sleep, he needs to be carried outside to his designated pee place. Don’t keep your dog waiting.
Get him outdoors and to his designated toilet as soon as possible so he may relieve himself without having an accident.
He’ll also need to use the restroom following each meal. After eating, make sure to get him outside to his place as soon as possible so he can relieve himself when the urge arises.
Hourly: Per month of age, your Labrador puppy should be able to hold it for an hour. Therefore, a Labrador Retriever puppy that is nine weeks old should be able to hold off for around two hours before going potty.
Rewards: Give your pet a pleasant treat after you take him to his designated pee spot. Your dog will get enthusiastic and proud of his accomplishment if you show some enthusiasm.
Redirect: If you don’t take your Labrador Retriever puppy outside to his designated pee spot promptly, he’s likely to have accidents.
Keep an eye out for indicators that he needs to leave, like as sniffing around the house or circling a specific place. Take him outside right away to use the restroom.
If your puppy has an accident, take him outdoors to his designated potty area and make an effort to arrive earlier the following time. It will be useless to scold him.
Conclusion
When your Labrador has had almost no accidents for a couple of months AND can go for several hours without needing to go potty, puppy house training is usually over.
If you keep to a schedule, manage your dog’s environment, and pay attention to the indicators that he wants to go potty, you will do this much more quickly. Don’t forget to be patient and compliment everyone.
Your Lab puppy will be successfully potty trained in no time if you constantly practice all of these things.
There may be a medical cause if you find potty training your dog to be particularly challenging or if you discover he’s having more accidents. The best expert to assist you with this is your veterinarian.
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