German Shepherds are intelligent and loyal dogs, but they can also be a handful when they’re puppies. One of the biggest challenges of owning a German Shepherd puppy is potty training. With patience and consistency, you can potty train your German Shepherd puppy in no time.
1. Set a Schedule
The first step to potty training your German Shepherd puppy is to set a schedule. Take your puppy outside to potty every 2-3 hours, even if they don’t seem to need to go. This will help them to learn that they should only go potty outside.
2. Pick a Potty Spot
Once you’ve established a potty schedule, it’s time to pick a potty spot. Choose a spot in your yard or a nearby park that is away from any other dogs’ potty spots. This will help to prevent your puppy from getting confused about where they should go potty.
3. Take Your Puppy Outside on a Leash
When you take your puppy outside to potty, always use a leash. This will help you to keep them from wandering off and having an accident.
4. Watch for Signs
As you’re taking your puppy outside, watch for signs that they need to go potty. These signs may include whining, circling, or sniffing the ground.
5. Praise and Reward
When your puppy goes potty outside, be sure to praise them and give them a treat. This will help them to associate going potty outside with positive things.
6. Be Patient
Potty training takes time and patience. Don’t get discouraged if your puppy has an accident. Just clean it up and keep taking them outside on a regular schedule.
7. Crate Train
Crate training can be a helpful tool for potty training. When your puppy is in their crate, they will be less likely to have an accident because they don’t want to soil their bed.
8. Don’t Use Punishment
Punishment is not an effective way to potty train a puppy. It will only make them afraid of you and less likely to want to go potty in front of you.
9. Be Consistent
The most important thing is to be consistent with your potty training routine. If you’re consistent, your puppy will learn much faster.
10. Get Help
If you’re having trouble potty training your puppy, don’t be afraid to get help from a professional dog trainer. They can help you to develop a training plan that is right for your puppy.
Common Potty Training Mistakes
There are a few common potty training mistakes that people make. These mistakes can make it harder to potty train your puppy.
Not taking your puppy outside often enough.
Not watching for signs that your puppy needs to go potty.
Not praising or rewarding your puppy when they go potty outside.
Getting angry or frustrated with your puppy when they have an accident.
Using punishment to potty train your puppy.
If you avoid these mistakes, you’ll be well on your way to potty training your German Shepherd puppy in no time.
Additional Tips
If your puppy has an accident, clean it up immediately with a pet-safe cleaner. This will help to remove the odor and prevent your puppy from wanting to go potty in that spot again.
If you’re going to be away from home for an extended period of time, you may want to consider getting a dog walker or pet sitter to come and take your puppy outside to potty.
It’s important to remember that potty training is a process. It takes time and patience for a puppy to learn to go potty outside. Just keep at it and be consistent, and your puppy will eventually get the hang of it.
