Labradoodles are amazing puppies and grow to be just as amazing dogs. Raising one is a rewarding experience, but it is also a learning experience for your puppy and you.
It is important to firmly yet kindly teach your puppy the skills he needs, such as house training, at this time in your new friend’s life.
Potty training isn’t the easiest task, but it is an essential one. Before getting a puppy and before house training, make sure that you are committed and ready to spend a fair amount of time working with your new buddy.
When it comes to Labradoodles, though, it is even more important to spend the time to potty train your pup.
Labradoodles are great family dogs and love to stay indoors with their pack. While they will venture out, it typically won’t be long and not far from their pack.
Since Labradoodles don’t spend much time in the yard, it’s crucial to train them not to leave small presents for you around the house. The sooner that you train your labradoodle proper potty etiquette, the easier it will be.
How Long Does House Training Take?
The length of time it takes to potty train your Labradoodle puppy varies. To help give your puppy the best chances possible, it is important to know how your labradoodle’s bladder works.
Typically, your friend will be able to hold their bladder for the same number of hours as they are months old. For example, a 3-month-old puppy can often hold its bladder for 3 hours.
Labradoodles are very smart dogs, so they will likely be able to pick up on the potty training fairly quickly. As long as you stick to the training, you will see the training start quickly. And again, the younger you start the training, the quicker it will take.
Now let’s take a look at how to house train your labradoodle.
How To House Train Your Labradoodle?
Build A Routine
One of the most important first steps to potty training any dog is to get them on a schedule. By nature, dogs like routines, especially smart dogs like Labradoodles.
The most important parts of the schedule are feeding and sleeping. Potty breaks will become scheduled over time, but as your young pup needs to piddle a lot and has trouble holding their bladder, it will be pretty hard to get them on a schedule.
Pick a Potty Spot
Next, it works best to find a potty spot that you can easily revisit. One spot helps them know when it’s time to potty, and, as we mentioned above, it is important to establish a routine with your Labradoodle.
Failure to pick a spot will result in your puppy going wherever they want, including in spots that may not be convenient for you.
Watch Them Potty
Humans don’t watch each other potty, so some people are a bit shy when watching their dogs use the bathroom, but you have to.
It is important to watch your labradoodle to ensure that they actually use the bathroom. If your puppy doesn’t go potty, they may have to go on a bit of a walk first.
Praise Them After the Fact
Encouraging your labradoodle to potty outside is important. When they potty, you need to praise them but wait for them to finish pottying first.
Giving them praise while they are still doing their business can confuse them. They may want to stop or may continue peeing while getting overly excited.
It doesn’t hurt to reward your puppy with treats now and then, but you don’t want them to expect a treat every time they potty. Being too treat motivated can create problems.
Walk Around and Watch
Often puppies will get distracted and not empty their bladders all at once. Walk around for a bit outside and return to your potty spot to see if they will go again. Make sure to encourage them when you return to the potty spot.
Slowly Take Longer Between Potty Trips
As time goes on, start taking longer between potty breaks. Your labradoodle will start to do better the longer the training process goes.
Don’t stray far from the length of time between potty breaks that we mentioned above; for each month, your dog can hold its bladder for one hour.
Labradoodle Potty Training Tips
As a bonus to house training your Labradoodle, we have included some helpful tips. These tips will help to make the process smoother and give you the greatest chances of success.
Crate Train Your Labradoodle
Some people don’t like crates, but they can play a major role in potty training your puppy. You can’t be home all the time, and a crate or kennel will serve as a den for them when you go out.
Just make sure not to leave them in the crate for longer than they can go without piddling. If you leave them in the crate for too long, you will have a mess to pick up when you get back.
Go Potty After Eating
You will want to make sure that your puppy gets bathroom breaks after eating. Give it between 15 and 30 minutes after eating before going on a bathroom run.
When your puppy is young, you can feed three times a day to help with the bathroom break schedule.
Expect Accidents
Potty training your puppy comes with accidents. You should expect these accidents to happen. When they do happen, it is crucial that you don’t be too hard on your dog.
You will not want to yell at them or make a scene, especially if you don’t find the accident until later. Dog’s have trouble associating scolding with prior activity, and you also don’t want to frighten your puppy.
Puppies will quickly learn to potty on the carpet if you don’t care for the carpet. Make sure to clean up any potty messes quickly.
Odor plays a big role in them returning to the carpet to use it as a bathroom again. A good odor remover or all-purpose carpet cleaner that removes odor is needed to remove the traces of an accident completely.
Keep an Eye on Your Puppy
One of the things about having a puppy is that they take a lot of attention. As you go about your day, you will have to keep an eye on them to ensure that they don’t have an accident in the house.
Your puppy will show signs that they need to potty, such as wining, walking in circles, acting strange, etc. When you notice this behavior, it is time to take them out.
If you want to take the time to give your pup a little more training, you can train them to give you a signal that they need to use the bathroom.
Have your labradoodle ring a bell or sit at the door when they need to go to the bathroom.
House training a labradoodle isn’t that hard; it just takes time. You have picked one of the smartest dog mixes out there, and with these instructions and tips, you will be well on your way to having a potty-trained puppy.