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Ask Alecia: When Should I Start Potty Training?

Dear Alecia,

My husband and I got two new American Bulldog puppies, born April 20th. When should we start potty training and how would you suggest we go about it? We have pee pee pads but the pups just rip them up.  –Michelle

Dear Michelle,

Potty training should begin immediately upon bringing your new pups home.  The easiest way to do this is through crate training.

Begin by bringing your pups out to empty their bladders.  Once they have emptied their bladders praise them and then they can have 45 minutes to 1 hour of inside free time.  Then they go back into the crate.

As soon as they wake up take them outside to empty their bladders again.  If they do so they can have another hour of free time, if not they go back into the crate for another 45 minutes to 1 hour and then take them out again.

The goal here is consistency and creating a win-win for the pups.

Consistency is key!

Paws Up!

Alecia
Alecia Evans, PDT, MA

Alecia Evans is the inventor of The Walk In Sync™ Humane Dog Walking and Training System with her exclusive 5 Minute Manners Makeovers using the Walk In Sync™ Harness and Accu-Grip Leash, along with her Walk In Sync™ 3 Easy Steps to teach any human/dog duos to Walk In Sync in just minutes.

The former host of the award-winning GrassRoots Aspen TV Series, The Whole Animal-An Alternative Approach to Animal Care, Alecia takes a natural approach to dog training and health care. Her work has been featured on Fox and Friends, The Sandra Glosser Show, NY 1, and in Aspen Magazine, DogTipper.com, The New York Daily News and Woof Report.

Paris Permenter
This post originally appeared on DogTipper.com and is the sole property of DogTipper.com.