Labrador Potty Training

There are few things cuter than a new Labrador retriever puppy, but that little dog quickly loses his cuteness factor when he is brought home with you and promptly makes a mess on your beautiful living room carpet. Unless you want to spend the rest of your dog's life cleaning up these not so pleasant messes, you will want to get savvy to the finer points of Labrador potty training as quickly as possible. The good news is that there is some fairly simple techniques that will get you on the road to a housebroken dog that will leave your living room carpet for other things besides bathroom duty.

Labrador potty training will first consist of teaching your pup the appropriate place to potty. This might mean your backyard or a papered corner in the bathroom, depending on your needs and lifestyle. Once your dog has mastered where to go, he can begin to let you know that he needs to potty by barking at you, whining at the back door or simply heading to his appointed spot.

Many dog owners find the easiest way to Labrador potty training is through the use of a crate. This shelter becomes a safe haven for your dog when you are away or cannot give him the attention that he requires. Most dogs will not potty in their crates, which means that your pup will learn to hold it until you come get him to put him outside. This is a good first step in Labrador potty training.

Since puppies have small, untrained bladders, you won't want to leave your dog in his crate for too long in the beginning stages of Labrador potty training. Take your puppy outside every couple of hours when he is very young, and place him immediately in the spot that you want him to potty in. When he goes to the bathroom, praise him and bring him inside for some playtime with you if possible. It is also good to take him out after naps and meals, when he will be most likely to potty.

If you catch your pup in the act of going potty on your carpet or in another inappropriate spot, simply give him a firm no, and immediately take him outside. If you find a spot on the carpet after the fact, clean it up quickly and thoroughly with an enzymatic carpet cleaner that will take the smell out completely. Don't scold your pup at this point, because he will not remember where the mess came from, even if it is a mere five minutes after the fact! When your puppy potties in the right spot, reward him with plenty of praise, playtime or a biscuit.

With plenty of persistence and patience, your Labrador potty training will be successful. Don't get frustrated or give up if the process takes longer than you think it should. While some Lab puppies will be completely housebroken in a matter of weeks, others may take months before the accidents are finished. Rest assured that your pup will eventually get the hang of potty training, and you will not have to deal with this issue forever.

As a breeder of Labrador retrievers for the past decade, Brooke Sunderland has potty trained many a puppy. Labrador training like housebreaking can be very successful when you know the proper techniques and you come into the process with plenty of patience and persistence. Information is the key to successful Labrador training, and dog training books and articles like this one are the first step in becoming a savvy Labrador owner.

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