How do we go from the litterbox to outside? Positive reinforcement.

Atlas + Freebie's "Walking on Sunshine" Standard Poodles four days after litterbox introduction.

Shown above is a photo of a puppy pen first thing in the morning—no spot cleans, no cover ups, just a real video of an early morning pen. Note the poops in the litter box. Do you see any anywhere else? Nope! That’s because litter box training works and maaaaybe because our puppies are little geniuses.

We introduce the litter box between three and four weeks old (just a few days ago for this particular litter) to teach puppies there is an appropriate place to potty. Not only does it help us keep them and their pen clean but it also trains their little bodies to “hold it”. As we expand their pen, they’ll continue to seek out the box before using the bathroom and this is exactly what makes house training easier when they go home. Litterbox training from three to eight weeks of age reinforces that there IS an appropriate place to potty. After bringing your puppy home, you simply need to continue to continue teaching that outside is the new spot.

We praise our puppies for pottying in the litter box AND outside. They go home to you with treats and a clicker to reinforce desirable behaviors. Puppy pees outside? Immediately click and treat. Puppy poops outside? Immediately click and treat. Eventually they’ll understand this specific behavior gets a click, a click gets a treat, and that’s just the best thing ever so we’re gonna keep doing that. It's always best to house train on a leash so the click and treat can be immediate. You have THREE seconds to capture the behavior with a click and treat. Positive reinforcement is the method we use to train all of our dogs and puppies---the idea is to reward positive behaviors rather than punishing the bad. Physical punishment, e-collars and raised voices are not methods we support or recommend.

Poodles and Goldendoodles are incredibly intelligent and intuitive and they want to learn and please. Positive reinforcement is the best way to teach desired behaviors as harsh punshments can cause these sensitive breeds to become anxious, fearful and lose confidence. Accidents will happen of course, don’t scold and don’t make it a big deal because any attention is attention—even if it’s negative. Many families mistakenly reinforce negative behaviors so be careful you aren’t accidentally doing just that and confusing the pup.

We do all we can to setup our puppies and families for success and we’re always here for advice and support. Whether it’s ten minutes after they go home or ten years—we’re a phone call, text or message away.

References:

Cooper, J. J., Cracknell, N., Hardiman, J., Wright, H., & Mills, D. S. (2014). The welfare consequences and efficacy of training pet dogs with remote electronic training collars in comparison to reward-based training. PLoS ONE, 9(9), e102722. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0102722

Hiby, E. F., Rooney, N. J., & Bradshaw, J. W. S. (2004). Dog training methods: Their use, effectiveness and interaction with behaviour and welfare. Animal Welfare, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1017/S0962728600026683

Vieira de Castro, A. C., Fuchs, D., Morello, G. M., Pastur, S., de Sousa, L., & Olsson, I. A. S. (2020). Does training method matter? Evidence for the negative impact of aversive-based methods on companion dog welfare. PLOS ONE, 15(12), e0225023. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0225023