Tips on Potty Training Your Cavalier
1.
Set up your dog's crate before you bring him home.
2.
Choose the outdoor potty area before bringing your
dog home.
3.
Take notice of your dog's pre-potty routine.
4.
Make sure to take your puppy out every one or two
hours immediately after bringing him home.
5.
Use the same words and take the same route to the
potty spot during training.
6.
Praise your dog when successfully using potty
spot, a treat is also an effective reward for a job
well done.
7.
Do not punish your dog if he has an accident in
the house.
8.
Never give an untrained puppy the run of the house
without your direct supervision at all times.
9.
Don't place your puppy in extended solitary
confinement in either his crate or in your yard.
10.
Avoid distracting your puppy while he is going in
the potty area.
11.
Do not expect your puppy to hold it the whole day
while you're at work.
How to Avoid/Handle Potty Accidents
1.
If your puppy doesn't go during the scheduled time
at the potty place, take him back to his crate
immediately.
2.
If after a few attempts there is still no business
done, you might try taking him out of crate but
don't take your eyes off him.
3.
Signs that a pup has to go include: intense
sniffing, pacing, circling and any sudden stop
during an activity.
4.
Take your puppy out every 20 minutes until he
goes, and he will eventually go, then praise him
lavishly when he does.
5.
If an accident occurs inside do not punish him,
scold him, or rub his nose in his mistake.
6.
Puppies are not capable of associating your
punishments with any past event, and will not
understand why it is happening.
7.
Refusal to look at you or a tail between the legs
is not a sign of guilt over a potty accident.
8.
Puppies have no concept of guilt, and the body
language you observe are most likely an expression
of uneasiness, distress, or even fear.
9.
When faced with an accident, simply clean it
thoroughly and focus on what you can do differently
to prevent it from happening again.
10.
If an accident occurs while your back is turned,
the solution is not to have him outside of his crate
unless you can pay full attention to him.
11.
If he goes in his crate, the crate is probably too
big. A crate should be just big enough for him to
stand up in and turn around.
12.
Crate accidents usually occur if your puppy is
left alone in the crate for more than 3 to 4 hours.
13.
If there seems to be no warning before an
accident, observe and review his behavior before the
event occurred and look for it next time.
14.
If repeated accidents occur in the same place,
make sure you clean the accident thoroughly, and
remember not to give an untrained dog too much
indoor freedom.
How Age Relates to Training
1.
Though your puppy may show a good deal of success
while training, avoid declaring him fully
house-broken if he's less than 6 months old.
2.
6 month old puppies can know when and when not to
go, however, they are not yet physically capable of
preventing an accident.
3.
Avoid pushing the limits of your puppy's training
during this period, and continue to keep him in the
crate when he can't be supervised.
4.
After he is half a year old, some unsupervised
freedom can be given, but continue to stay vigilant
and avoid giving too much freedom too soon.
5.
Gradual expansion of freedom can be accomplished
by giving him the run of just 1 or 2 rooms for
starters.
6.
While observing your puppy, don't only look for
whether he holds him business, but also watch for
whether or not he digs at or chews any off-limits
objects.
