During the 1st couple weeks as soon as you hear me wake up you need come and pick me up so I don’t potty in my cage. If you hold me I won’t pee until you set me back down. Make sure you have my leash next to my crate. After you pick me up out of my crate grab the leash and hook it to my collar as you are walking to my designated potty spot out in the yard.
It is real important that you always use the same door, the same spot and the same command. This is how I start learning that I only pee outside. It also tells me that you are standing in my pee spot cause you want me to do my business so that we can either go back inside the house or we are going for a ride in the car.
I will also need you to get real excited when I do potty outside or I won’t know that this is important to my humans. You need to praise me AS SOON as I finish or I won’t understand why you are so happy. Make sure everybody uses the same words & commands or I will get confused. Once I get older and understand the word “GO POTTY” then I will be able to do this without direction or help. Make sure you say this with a happy high pitch upbeat tone of voice.
Remember as soon as I wake up I need to pee. About 10 minutes after I eat I probably need to poop. If I am darting around like I am looking for something, it is probably because I am looking for a place to go potty. As I age my bladder will get stronger and I will have learned to go to the gate or door that you always take me to, to let you know when I need to go outside to do my business.
Anything I do that pleases you make sure you let me know with your happy excited voice. This will make me confident in myself. If you are always using your cranky firm voice for my bad behaviors then I will cower from you every time I see you. Remember my bad behavior comes from you giving me too much free time to explore on my own. So until I know what’s off limits keep an eye on me.