House training your Whoodle at the right time and age will make a world of difference later on. You will enjoy having them around more when you don’t have to come home from work and clean up after them. In our article Are Whoodles For You? – Pros and Cons, one of the pros is that Whoodles are very trainable and reward-driven, so if you follow this guide, you and your puppy can have lots of fun during the process.
The basics of house training your Whoodle,
- The Best Age to House Train Your Whoodle
- House Training Steps
- Crate Training
- Potty Training
The Best Age To House Train Your Whoodle
When you first get your Whoodle puppy and bring it into your home is the best time to house train them. They are already getting used to a new environment, so you don’t have to worry about breaking any bad habits. This will also allow the puppy to use you as a guide in unfamiliar situations.
House Training Steps
Step 1: Prepare
The best way to train your Whoodle is by allowing yourself to give them your full attention. This means you will need to take a few days off work and make sure you are available at all times to take a puppy break. This will also help speed up the process as it is more consistent, and it won’t feel like it is dragging on for weeks.
Another supply you will need while house training is a kennel or crate; this will be used during training and hopefully become a safe space for them. You will also need to know what size of kennel your Whoodle will need; otherwise, there is a chance it could make training harder for you and your puppy. This website has a guide that shows you how to pick the perfect size and has a few different crate options to fit your Whoodle as they grow.
The last thing you need to help your training sessions go smoothly is many training treats. You want to make sure you get goodies for training rather than usual treats. Because if you are giving your Whoodle a whole biscuit every time you reward them, it can fill them up faster, causing them to lose interest.
Step 2: Know When to Praise and When to punish
Dogs respond better to positive emotions than negative ones. They’ll only respond to discipline when you catch them in the act. It does no good to get after them later when you find it; they won’t understand why you are upset.
Until you train them otherwise, their crate is their only no-go zone. You’ll want to teach your puppy to think of the whole house as their no-go zone, even when they are puppies. Some people will use puppy pads to train their puppy, but any dog owner knows this brings an unpleasant smell to your home. Training them outside has more pros than cons.
Outside potty training
Before you bring your Whoodle outside to potty train them, you will need to pick a spot in the yard to designate as a bathroom area. Once you are ready, bring your puppy to that spot and stand in one place silently. You don’t want to distract them and keep your puppy outside until they have used the bathroom. Once they have, reward them with treats and all your love! If you do this about 10-15 minutes after your puppy eats, they will be more likely to use the bathroom.
If you ever catch your puppy using the bathroom in the house, pick them up and carry them outside immediately. They don’t know better yet, so scolding them will do more harm than good at this point. If they finish in the yard, give them a treat, they will realize that you expect this.
Step 3: Keeping Them in Their Kennel While Sleeping or You’re Away
At night, put the kennel in your bedroom so you can hear them when they cry to go out and take them to the bathroom. Puppies can’t hold it for very long, so you don’t want to set them up for failure by leaving them in their crate for too long.
As soon as you get back home from work or when you first wake up, take them outside to use the bathroom and reward them if they do. Don’t put your Whoodle down until you are in the yard, or they might use the bathroom in the house.
Bring them back inside to their kennel and try again in 15 minutes if they don’t go.
Step 4: Set Alarms
Set alarms throughout the day so you won’t forget to take them to the bathroom. Set the first one early in the morning, and remember to take them out before bed. Doing so will help them learn to make it through the night.
You can also ask others in your house to help with this process. The more you praise your puppy for using the bathroom outside, the sooner they will learn that this is how they get positive attention. Letting your puppy for every hour at first will set you up for success.
Step 5: Keep a Close Eye on Them While They are out of Their Kennel
You’ll need to keep a close eye on your puppy, so it is best to take time off work to train your puppy. Make sure they are never alone while out of their crate; you want them to start thinking of the home as their no-go zone instead of just their kennel.
You also need to take your puppy outside 15 minutes after every meal. Try to avoid feeding them or giving them water a few hours before bedtime; this will help them sleep through the night faster.
While you watch them, take them outside if they ever start showing signs of needing the bathroom. Sniffing the floor is the most common sign that will let you know they need to go out. Also, pay attention to if they go back to spots where they had an accident previously. Lastly, watch for any circular turns.
Crate Training
As I mentioned before, having the right crate size for your puppy is the most important part of crate training. If it is too big, it will complicate potty training your puppy. Puppies try to avoid going in their sleeping space, so there is room to use the bathroom and lay down when it’s too big, making it harder to teach them where you want them to use the bathroom.
This website has a guide that shows you how to pick the perfect size and has a few different crate options to fit your Whoodle as they grow.
Potty Training
As we mentioned earlier, you will want to make sure you train your Whoodle to use the bathroom outside and not inside on a puppy mat from the start. Reward your puppy whenever they use the bathroom outside during training. Use their kennel when you can’t be around to watch them (Although try to avoid keeping them in there for too long, you want your puppy to see their kennel as their safe place and not a punishment). Use a timer when training a puppy and let them out regularly. Watch them closely for any ‘going’ signs until they are fully trained.
Overall, house training your Whoodle takes a lot of work and patience, but it will go smoothly and fast if you use this guide. Plus, doing so will help strengthen your bond with your Whoodle! Major bonus. If you are interested in becoming a owner of a Whoodle, check out our available puppies!