POTTY TRAINING
Yes, potty training your new puppy can be tough. Especially with the restrictions that might be in place to protect your puppy from Parvo - so what can new owners do?
First off, watch this great video by Zak George that is The Complete Guide to Potty Training. He has wonderful advice about the do’s and don’ts of potty training.
KP Pomskies’ puppies have been litterbox trained. Not saying they won’t still have an accident but, it’s a head start to teaching them that there’s a specific area to potty, and that area smells like grass/pine.
Some pawrents decide to continue that, if they live in a condo or apartment. Or in a climate that is not conducive to hour long walks while the puppy decides to potty, like rain or it being too cold for their humans (Pomskies LOVE cold!).
What I use: Tractor Supply Rabbit Tray, 24”x24”. You can also use a large (6-8” tall) tote with a notch cut out of the side. The key would be for them to know they have to walk into the tote, not just put their nose to the litter and pee - which results in lots of pee around the area but not actually IN the area that you want them to. Don’t buy that expensive pine litter at the pet store, get Equine Pine Stall Pellets at any farm store. It’s approximately $6/40#. You would put about 1.5” in the bottom of the tote. Pull out the poos often and then change the litter when you see the pellets breaking down into sawdust. Warning - don’t throw the used litter into a pile in your yard. I made that mistake and created a perfect environment for termites at my previous home. Thankfully I caught it in time, but good warning nonetheless. Just place in the trash, compost it. It is useful to take some to mark/seed the area where you want your puppy to go in the yard when they have completed their vaccination series against Parvo.
When potty training with Parvo risks and you want to have them potty in the yard, set aside a small area in the yard (get a temporary fencing for it like an exercise pen) and follow the Parvo protocols here to make sure that area is safe for your pup. Bleach water solution is your friend in the fight against Parvo.
Other potty training resources can be found here: