So people often ask, when is a good time to start potty training a puppy? The answer is simple, as soon as possible. An 8-week-old puppy would be good to take outdoors and hence start the potty training regime.
Young puppies have a greater capacity to learn and adapt quickly. Their brains are more receptive to new experiences and training, making it easier for them to grasp the concept of potty training. The older the puppy gets, the more stubbornly the established habits are engrossed.
So by the time your puppy reaches 6 months of age, it can be completely potty trained. But an important fact to remember here is although the breed remains the same, every Beagle puppy is unique. Some may learn much faster than others. Your part is to stay consistent and patient during the whole house training period.
Since we covered all the preliminaries of potty training a Beagle, it’s time to get started with the potty training techniques.
Master Potty Training: 7 Easy Steps To Transform Your Beagle Puppy
Housebreaking a beagle puppy is considered a tough nut to crack, but it’s certainly not impossible. If you follow certain protocols for potty training a beagle, you will come out as a winner. We have compiled 7 easy steps to house-train the beagle puppy while keeping the personality traits in mind. Guaranteed results here.
1. Introduce To The Designated Area
Kick off your potty training regime by selecting a dedicated area for eliminating. Introduce this area to your pup. It is best to choose the area outside of your house for the Beagle breed. Choosing one inside your home can end up in a disastrous situation.
The chosen outdoor spot should be quick to access and be in a distraction-free zone. We recommend a nice gravel area but if you don't have access to that you can choose a grassy spot as well. We wouldn't recommend a litter box or puppy pads unless you have no other way to go about it.
2. Mark A Routine
Now that you have the desired area for elimination and have introduced your beagle pup to it, it's time to establish a routine. Remember this is the most crucial step that lays the foundation of the whole potty training process. Puppies thrive on schedules.
The potty routine should be based on the fact that puppies have a short bladder control span. The number of hours a beagle puppy can hold its pee is equivalent to how many months old it is. So a 2-month-old puppy may need as frequent urination breaks as after every 2 hours. If you are starting potty training for even a younger puppy, you can take them to the potty every 30 minutes.
Building up a routine includes a fixed wake-up time, nap time, meal time, playtime, and sleep time. What you feed them is also important and should be kept on a schedule as well. Ensure that potty breaks are incorporated into your routine at appropriate intervals throughout the day. Start with taking out your pup to the designated potty area just after it wakes up and then continue the hourly cycle.
The important thing to note here is the potty break should not exceed more than 5 mins. Keep your dog on a leash and distraction-free. If unsuccessful, you need to repeat the drill every 15 minutes until your beagle poops or pees.
The water bowl should be removed from sight at least 2 hours before sleep time – a safe exit to nighttime messes.
3. Master Supervision
Once you have a fixed pattern to follow, you may think your work is done here. But no amigo, you don't get off this easily. There is more commitment waiting for you. It's called supervision. Once you master this art, you can conquer the potty training world.
For this, you will have to look deeply into your dog’s personality. Once you do, you will get familiar with its body language that screams “I am holding my poop or pee.” So what are those signs that give away the secret? We have listed below some key behavioral signs that your puppy may adopt.
- Sniffing
- Whining
- Chewing
- Scratching
- Restlessness
- Licking in the groin
- Lifting leg or squatting
- Moving around in circles
- Barking without any reason
- Stopping their ongoing activity
When you see your dog acting up, don't waste time and get into action immediately. Put your pup on a leash and take it out to the familiarized designated potty spot. Your immediate response can make your dog relate that call of nature to the designated potty spot.
If you think your doggo is about to do it, interrupt. Clap hands loudly followed by a firm no. This will make it aware that the inside is not the place to eliminate. But don't waste any single moment after that and take it to the spot where it is supposed to relieve itself.
4. Cue Words & Treats
Use words to connect to actions. Housebreaking and cue words go hand in hand. We are sure you had not given selecting cue words a solid thought before beginning the whole process. But selecting the right cue words and using them at the right time with the right tone is a game-changer as far as potty training is concerned.
Dogs are smart and words have a great impact on them for co-relating to any situation. Choose small words and relate a tone with them. “Go potty”, “good boy”, or “No”. Use these words in particular situations. When it's time to potty, familiarize your doggo with the “go potty” cue word. When it finishes the potty job right, use the cue word “good boy” as praise to let it know it did right. Praises are motivating and help dogs get excited about learning.
This is a smell-motivated breed we are talking about here. That means they will take good smells to get more motivated to achieve a goal. So we can say they are food motivated as well. So you can take help from treats but shouldn’t go over the top with them. Treats should be a treat – not a meal. Meaning keeping it small and easy to chew for your pup.
5. Use Helpful Tools
Did you know that crate ranks as the no. 1 tool for potty training a pup? Yes, it's true. Confining your Beagle in a crate is not cruel but highly recommended for their welfare.
Puppies don’t know they’re supposed to hold their bladder and neither can they communicate with you that they need to use a loo. But what they do know is not to soil their den. Call it instinct.
So this is where the crate training comes in handy. It's a comforting thought that they won't soil their place of sleep. But that does not mean you start being inconsistent in your routine. And yes, always pick an appropriately sized crate. You can also use puppy pads but it is something we wouldn't call our favorite.
Enzyme sprays come in very handy while potty training your beagle pup. They act as a good prevention tool. Let's say your pup had an accident in the house, knowing beagles, they can track the soil area no matter how much you scrub.
This will be an open invitation for future accidents. An enzyme cleaner leaves no traces of the crime scene while completely killing urine odor. Just make sure the product does not contain ammonia as dogs relate the smell of ammonia with pee.
6. Pinpointing Underlying Issues
There are instances where a beagle owner follows all the right rules of potty training but still sees themselves going anywhere. In other cases, the frequency at which the pup is soiling the house is increasing.
Chances are there are some underlying issues responsible for this disaster and you need to tap them as soon as possible. These urination accidents can be because of some physical illness or something that might be triggering your pet mentally.
A vet’s visit can reveal a lot in such instances. It could be UTI, congenital abnormalities, or behavior issues like fear or separation anxiety. Follow whatever your vet guides you religiously to solve the core issue. But if the vet reports come out clear, you need to amp up your vigilance or seek professional help.
7. Be Consistent & Patient
Consistency and patience is the key to the secret world of potty training. Puppies are like humans. Instilling new habits takes time, patience, and a lot of dedication. Potty training is no exception. Dogs learn from predictability. So consistently scheduled potty breaks help them figure out when and where they should relieve themselves.
Your Beagle will learn faster and develop good bathroom habits that will be embedded for life. Not being consistent will have the worst effects. Inconsistency sends mixed signals to the brain, resulting in a more confused doggo.
This training phase is not going to be picture-perfect. Accidents may or will happen. When it happens, hold your chin up and don't lose your cool. When you have a clear mind devoid of any distractions, you will keep on seeing and eventually reach the finish line.
Why Choose Suburban K9 For Potty Training Your Beagle Puppy
At Suburban K9, we have a team of 42 certified trainers who have years of experience and expertise in training various dog breeds. We offer an online Potty Training Academy that will teach you everything you need to know about potty training your Beagle or any other breed. If you are looking for in person training, our private in-house lessons are ideal for potty training young beagle puppies showing guaranteed results.
We believe that before beginning the training session for a puppy, it is best to understand personality and breed traits. Next up, we learn what goals you as a family have for your pup.
This personalized approach produces more effective and comprehensive results. Our private in-home lessons give you, as a dog owner, the perfect opportunity to learn things that require your input. But in the right direction.
Working with multiple dogs during a standard-length lesson comes at no extra cost. That's right, if you have a bunch of eager puppies that could benefit from our training, we're more than delighted to assist them all in a single session.
We are team “balanced approach” when it comes to our preferred method of training puppies and adult dogs. That means we use a perfect blend of positive reinforcement techniques and fair discipline to teach your puppy good behavior.
If your dog is having frequent accidents, our trainers will also address the underlying issues like separation anxiety or any other behavioral problems that are causing delays in your dog being fully potty trained.
Our in-home potty training is a risk-free program that has different options:
- Single and multi-lesson - 60 minutes each
- One-Year Program - 30 sessions
- One-Year Plus Program - 45 sessions
At Suburban K9, we are super committed to your Beagle's success even after the training lessons are complete. That is why we provide you with the tools and tutorials to continue reinforcing potty training habits at home. Our trainers are available for ongoing support and advice, ensuring that your Beagle maintains their good habits for a lifetime.
Conclusion
What’s sugar and spice but everything nice? Yes, a pet beagle puppy. Beagle puppies are masters of manipulation. They can be downright naughty riding on your last nerve. But they are the most adorable naughty furball ever.
Just a little taming and housebreaking will make them your favorite entertainment and the best companion for a lifetime. But unless you know how to potty train a beagle puppy, you cannot achieve that milestone.
At Suburban K9, we have a team of expert trainers who value the importance of knowing the ins and outs of a dog’s personality before beginning with any kind of training regime. Be it potty training or behavior modification, our approach is comprehensive and effective that ensures long time results.
Our private in-house lessons are the best to show the transformation of the naughtiest of puppies into the most well-trained and well-behaved ones for the dog owners. Book a free consultation today to experience the process yourself.
