Even if you are not adopting a puppy from us, we are more than happy to help advise you with potty training. A trained puppy makes for a very happy home, and less puppies in the shelters!
Potty training starts with the breeder and it is extremely important that they are diligent in starting this process! If not, well, you may have a task ahead of you, but take a deep breath!! Your puppy IS potty trainable!
Feel free to pour a cup of coffee and email us if you are pulling your hair out.
We
highly suggest owning a playpen like the one pictured here. This makes
life a lot easier. It will fit a bed or small crate, play area, food, water, and
puppy pads. The perfect place to keep puppy safe and happy while you are
not home. Basically it's their little apartment. This is almost a
must unless you have a small room you can gate off. But you want their
area to be compact, not leaving much to choose from for potty business
area. That's why these playpens are ideal. You can find this exact playpen in our store. An investment worth every penny! When your puppy is fully trained, you will be able to put the playpen away and use for future purposes, like camping etc.
Our adult Maltese are fully potty trained to go outside. Our male also goes on a puppy pad when he can't hold it due to us being gone if over five hours. Which isn't very often. But, If you adopt a puppy from us, it will be started on puppy pad training, which starts at birth here. We have a fine tuned process in making sure our puppies "know the rules." It is highly suggested for you to continue puppy pad training until your puppies bladder has matured, and then if you wish to train for outside potty, gradually move your pads towards the door until they also/only use outside methods.
You should begin housebreaking your puppy as soon as you bring it home. Once bad habits are allowed they are harder to break. Decide whether you are going to train you puppy to go indoors, outdoors or a combination of both before bringing him home. Inside training is favored because you don't have to worry about your puppy getting wet, dirty or soiling his white coat if the weather is bad. Indoors, you can paper train, puppy pad train, or even litter box train. But have puppy pads or a litter box ready for when you get home with puppy so you don't have to fumble around.
Indoor training is recommended for Maltese especially because they are tiny and have small bladders. Housebreaking can be very difficult, especially if not started at birth, but not impossible. Maltese are very smart and can be trained to go outside. We trained all three of our Maltese at once time and it was easier than training one dog of any other breed we have ever owned.
For indoor training, Immediately upon arrival, introduce the special place where you have chosen for your puppy to do his business indoors. A playpen is an excellent resource! Place plentiful scented potty pads for the purpose on the floor. Be sure to place his potty area away from his bed. And also be sure to put the potty where he doesn't have to walk through it constantly. If not using a playpen, and you have carpet, it would be wise to confine the puppy to just one room without carpeting while the routine is being learned.
Young puppies need to relieve themselves frequently, so if you see the puppy about to squat away from the pad, just say "No" firmly and whisk the puppy away to the pad and say "potty". Our dogs got so use to us saying "potty" when they went, that now we tell them "go potty" and they go on demand! Give lots of praise when the task has been completed. Rewards and treats are highly suggested. Your puppy wants to please you! So, be sure to let him know when he has! Give your puppy something to look forward to when he does the right thing! Also, many puppy pads are pre-treated with a scent to attract puppy business, these are very helpful..
CRATE TRAINING:
Crate trianing works great for some breeds but it is best not to crate train a Maltese puppy. Using a crate forces them to hold their bladder until they can't hold it any longer, then they have accidents in their bed. If they are allowed to have accidents in their bed, potty training spirals out of control! They will start to think that potty habits can be done anywhere. Dogs naturally do not want to potty in their bed, so give them a bathroom. If you want to get your puppy use to a crate, put a crate in their playpen to use as a bed. But leave the door open so they can come and go freely. Then when they are older, they will be use to the crate.
For outdoor training, a 10-12 week old puppy should be taken outdoors every
one to three hours. Older puppies can wait longer between outings.
You will need to choose an appropriate area outside. Always walk you
puppy to this spot on a leash. Always praise your puppy when he
completes his business in the appropriate spot. By giving praise and/or
a food reward immediately after your puppy finishes you can encourage
him to go to the bathroom in a desired area. Odor left from previous
visits to the area will quickly mark it as the place for the puppy to do
his business. Be sure to promptly remove the puppy's soiled waste and
dispose of it properly. For male dogs, some pet stores sell scented stakes so they will lift their leg in a special spot. I haven't tried these, but they exist.
Most puppies should be taken out after
waking in the morning, after naps, after playing, after eating, and
before going to bed. And it is absolutely imperative to be consistent. It may seem like a burden to be constantly on top of training, but it will pay off in the end!
DOOR RINGER METHOD: Some of our adopters have had great success with hanging bells from the door knob. Every time they take out their puppy, they jingle the bells. Soon puppy will associate the ringing with going out and jingle the bells themselves when they want to go out to potty.
"Teacup" house breaking:
Many people contact me about housebreaking a "teacup". First of all, no matter how small your Maltese is, they all housebreak the same. Maltese
all have tiny bladders.
Maltese dogs are notorious for being difficult to housebreak because most breeders don't bother to start training their puppies right away! They just want to get them weaned, get their cash, and get them out the door! The rest is your problem! If this is your case, I sympathize with you.
Potty training MUST start at birth! But if it isn't, thankfully Maltese are smart and diligence can pay off. It is very important with a Maltese, for you to be consistent and not give up. Be the boss. They do have teenie bladders and can not be expected to hold it for too
long obviously. But realistically it CAN be done! They are also usually very spoiled and it can be hard to scold that tiny little face! Don't let them mesmerize you! LOL.
A constant play pen is almost mandatory, and many owners need to
puppy pad or litter train to prevent accidents. But that can be desired
as well if you don't want to let them out all the time. It takes dedication and patience. Maltese will try very hard not to have
an accident, but if they do, it is imperative not to be too harsh with
them. They can't hold it. And their feelings get hurt very easily. Thus, it is very important to have a pad available. A simple firm "NO" and MAYBE a tiny swat to the rump will suffice, and then immediately take them to their place to potty. You have to watch them like a hawk, and do not let them roam the entire house until potty habits are established!! Read the general housebreaking tips above.
Maltese are very smart! Rest Assured, your diligence, patience, and commitment to the potty training stage will pay off. Just remember that once they are trained, it will be well worth it, and everybody will be very happy in the end.
- Box has 9 inch sides! Keep the mess in the box! 24 by 24 by 9 inches
- IDEAL ESPECIALLY FOR MALE DOGS!!!
- NO MORE STRAY URINE ON THE FLOOR OR WALLS!
- BOX LOCKS IN PIDDLE PADS OR NEWS PAPER OR JUST USE THE GRATE
- DEEP BASIN TO CONTAIN THE FLUID. EASY TO CLEAN!!
