Owning a dog is full of love and joy, but there are a few more challenging moments that any owner has to deal with. Every dog owner can sympathize when you begin the potty training process.
To successfully potty train a Cavapoo, you’ll need to get the timing right, use positive reinforcement to let your puppy know they’re doing the right thing, and accept that there will be accidents within your home.
Sound daunting? Don’t worry, we have you covered with our ultimate guide to Cavapoo potty training.
When Should You Start Potty Training?
While potty training isn’t something anyone wants to do, most dog owners are also eager to stop the frequent accidents in their homes. If we never have to see a puppy pee pad again, it’ll still be too soon!
However, attempting to potty train your Cavapoo too early can cause its own issues, such as stress on your dog and irritation in how long it’s taking.
The sweet spot for potty training your dog is around the 12-week mark. This is when they’ll usually have enough bladder control to be able to hold it until you let them out into the yard.
However, it can sometimes take dogs longer than 12 weeks to gain full control over their bodily functions.
If your dog is older than 12 weeks, you can still potty train. However, it will be more difficult since older dogs are more stubborn and less impressionable.
Still, Cavapoos are intelligent dogs and therefore should be able to learn this new skill with plenty of time and patience. A few treats wouldn’t hurt, either!
If you’re playing a guessing game when it comes to how often a Cavapoo pees? Then check out our blog!
How Long Does It Take To Potty Train A Cavapoo?
Potty training is no simple feat – it can take weeks for your puppy to learn when and where to do their business. Older dogs will take even longer to train as they have more bad habits to break and relearn.
One of the worst things about potty training is how long it takes to achieve. Your dog might go 10 days without an accident within the house, then slip up on the 11th.
So, many people wonder how to tell whether their dog is fully trained or not.
The advice varies from dog to dog, but we think that if your Cavapoo hasn’t had an accident in the house for a full month, they’re successfully potty trained.
Bear in mind that even dogs that have been potty trained for years have accidents every now and then.
Potty Training Your Cavapoo
Now let’s get into how to potty train your Cavapoo so that you can enjoy the easiest and quickest results.
1. Create A Schedule (And Stick To It!)
All dogs thrive with a routine, especially intelligent ones like Cavapoos.
They need structure in their day, including eating times, exercise, and potty schedules. Creating an intuitive potty routine will help them learn the skill quicker.
You should already have a food schedule for your Cavapoo. The general advice is to let them outside after 5 to 30 minutes of them finishing their food.
This should be a good time for them to do their business outside.
Repeating this schedule will teach them that they should only go to the bathroom outside.
Water is a little trickier as they should always have access to fresh drinking water. Wherever possible, keep an eye on when your dog drinks and let them outside shortly afterward.
2. Keep Tabs On Your Dog
It can be difficult to keep up with what your dog is doing when you’re busy or working away from the house, but potty training will be much quicker if you can stay near them to monitor their activity.
Cavapoos are good dogs to train and understand a reaffirming tone saying the word ‘no’. This means that they’re less likely to go to the bathroom in your home if they know you’re watching them.
When you need to leave your dog home alone, we suggest using a crate. This gives you the reassurance that you won’t find any unpleasant surprises when you get home.
Some owners don’t like using crates, though, so another option is to use baby gates to keep them contained in one room. This means that any accidents will only be found in one area of the house.
3. Get Your Shoes Ready!
When potty training, you’ll need to make sure that you’re ready to go outside whenever your Cavapoo needs. Come rain or shine, dogs need to go outside every 2 hours until they’re around 8 months old.
Once they’ve reached 8 months old, dogs will be able to hold their bladders for around 6 hours at a time.
However, during potty training, you’ll need to be there whenever your dog needs you.
They cannot be held responsible for accidents if they’re begging to go outside but you’re holding them up by getting ready to go outside.
4. Use Potty Training Commands
‘Go pee’ and ‘go poop’ are two very common training commands, and they’re effective.
While you might not enjoy shouting these commands out to your dog, they do work to associate going to the bathroom with the words.
To teach these commands, say them while your dog is doing the act. They’ll begin to recognize those words associated with them going to the bathroom, and one day you’ll be able to say them in the pouring rain without wasting any time waiting for nature to call naturally.
Cavapoos thrive off of consistency and command, so make sure you say your chosen training words every single time they use the bathroom outside!
5. Reward With Love
Cavapoos don’t react well to harsh training methods. They need reassurance and positive reinforcement, which you can do with affirmations or treats.
Positive reinforcement ensures a trusting relationship built between a shared experience.
Offer lots of praise to your dog while they’re outside and offer a treat when you’re inside. They’ll want to be rewarded again, giving them a bigger incentive to use the bathroom outside more often.
Make sure that you don’t praise your dog when they use the bathroom inside. This would call for a firm ‘no’ and a sharp clap. This is enough to deter them without scaring or worrying them.
The most important thing to remember when training your Cavapoo is to be gentle yet firm.
This is the most effective way for them to learn and you’ll find that potty training is much more effective (and enjoyable) when you follow this advice.
Summary
Thanks for reading our article on how to potty train your Cavapoo! Overall, potty training is one of the least enjoyable factors of owning a dog.
However, once you successfully train them, both of your lives will be much better.
Training your Cavapoo can take a few weeks or months, and the best time to start is around 12 weeks old. Make sure you stay close to your dog during the process and reward them with treats and love.
Use simple commands that can be associated with going to the bathroom outside and create a schedule for you both to follow.
Potty training can be a stressful time, but keeping calm will help you get through it. Remember – accidents happen!
Now that you’ve mastered the art of potty training use other training tips here: