Potty training is not so pleasant part of owning a dog and it demands patience, commitment and consistence. It usually takes several weeks and during this period your dog will probably have a few accidents in the house, but there are some tips that will help you minimize house-soiling incidents. French Bulldog is generally a clean breed, so it should not take long to teach him acceptable behavior. Items you will need include leash, toys, treat, enzymatic cleaner and a crate or a small area of your home. Here are the basic rules and the more consistent you are at obeying them, the faster will you little fury friend lean to eliminate outdoors:
Establish a routine. Like babies, puppies and dogs need some daily schedule. That way they know when it is time to eat, sleep, play and potty. You should take your dog outside immediately after he wakes up, after playing, eating or drinking. Some recommend that you take him out every two hours. Generally, puppies can control their bladder one hour for every month of his age. If you leave him inside for longer than that, he will probably have an accident and it will be all you fault. Also, remove his food dish between meals in order to teach him to eat only when food is available and remove his water dish at least two hours before bedtime, so he does not have to potty during the night.
Supervision. If you have to go to work, you should hire someone to take your puppy for regular bathroom breaks. When you are in the house, but you are busy with something else and you can’t supervise your dog, restrict him to a small area in the apartment, bathroom or a laundry room. The space should be just big enough for the dog to comfortably stand, lie down and turn around. Most dogs will never potty in their sleeping space, so that is one more way to teach them acceptable potty behavior.
Pay attention to warning signs that your dog needs to potty. Sometimes those will be obvious signals like barking and scratching the doors. Sometimes your dog will nervously circle around the house or go from one room to another, whine, sniff around or simply stare at you. If you happen to notice some of those signs, take him outside to potty.
It is also important to teach him “go potty” command. Once you take him outside and he starts eliminating, say “go potty”. When he is finished, praise him and reward him with a treat while he is still outside. Make sure he has finished. Puppies are easily distracted and if you reward them too soon, he will forget to finish and do it in the house. You should also pick a bathroom spot outside and always take your dog to that spot. The odors will remind him that is the place for potty business.
If you catch your dog eliminating in the house, stop him immediately by making a startling noise, but don’t scare him. Take him outside to his bathroom spot and reward him with a treat if he finishes there.
Never punish your French Bulldog physically! Also, do not yell at him or rub his nose in poop if he had an indoors accident. It will only discourage potty training process and make him afraid of you or eliminating in your presence.
Tips:
Don’t teach your dog to eliminate on old newspapers in the house, it will only slow down the training process.
Instead of always rewarding him with a treat, reward him with toys, petting and praise, so he doesn’t get disappointed if treat is not available.
Note the times he usually eliminates, so you can predict his natural schedule.
Avoid cleaners that contain ammonia, because they may remind your Frenchie of urine and signal him to potty right there.
