How to Potty Train a Newfoundland Puppy
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Introduction
Your Newfoundland puppy is only a tiny version of what he will become in the coming months. He is highly intelligent and learns most things by association in a relatively short period of time.
When it comes to potty training, one thing you should know about your Newfie is that you should not scold him for going potty in the house, unless you see him doing it. If you do, he will simply see you as the person who yells at him. He will not understand you are trying to correct his behavior. You will have far more success with potty training when you work with your pup using positive reinforcement methods.
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Defining Tasks
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to teach your Newfoundland puppy that at no time is it okay for him to go potty in the house. He must learn that the only place he can go potty is in his designated area of the yard or while out for a walk. One of the most important parts of this training is to choose a command or cue word. One that everyone in your house will use to tell your pup it's time for him to go outside and go to the bathroom. Keep it simple, perhaps "Let's go potty or let's go outside." You can use anything, just stay consistent.
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Getting Started
Like most breeds, you can start potty training your Newfie at eight to 12 weeks of age. Which works out very well, as this is the period in which your pup's brain is developing at its fastest. This makes it a great time to teach him several commands beyond going potty outside. The idea is simple and the methods easy to follow, all you must do is remain consistent, work with your pup daily, and be patient. You also need:
- Crate – To use for
training and to give your pup a safe place to stay when you must leave the house.
- Treats – You need
plenty of these to give your pup as rewards for when he goes potty outside.
- Leash – You need
this to take him outside and to the place he can use as a potty.
The most important tool of all is patience, you should never punish your dog or scold him unless you happen to catch him in the act. Be patient, keep working on the training and he will soon figure out what you are trying to teach him.
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The Crate Method
Most Recommended
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Most Recommended
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In the crate
Place your pup in his crate with a bowl of water, a few toys, and a bed to lay down on. Every hour on the hour, open the door, put your pup on his leash, and take him outside while using your cue word. This will help him associate the cue with the action.
The five-minute rule
If your pup hasn't gone potty after five minutes, go ahead and take him back inside and put him in his crate. Leave him there for an hour and then take him outside to his spot on the lawn. By now, he should have no problem going potty.
When he goes
When he goes potty, be sure you praise him with an excited tone in your voice and give him a treat. Then take him back to his crate. The more excited you are, the more he will be convinced that going potty outside is a great idea.
When he figures it out
Once your pup figures out that you want him to go potty in the designated area, he will do his best to make you happy by going in the right place.
More time out
When your puppy starts to show you that he is figuring it all out, you can start leaving the crate door open and allowing him to enjoy getting out and stretching his legs around the room. Give him time to explore the room, in time he will see this as his "area", one he will not go potty in. Over time you should be able to open the whole house without fear of your pup going potty in the house anymore.
The Pee Right Here Method
Effective
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Effective
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For this you need spray
Your local pet shop sells a spray that can be used to entice your pup to an area of your yard where he can go pee. The spray actually encourages him mark his territory, thereby going potty.
Create the "pee zone"
Use the spray to create a potty zone in your yard. At first, it doesn't need to be a big area, just one that your pup can use whenever he needs to go, come sun, rain, snow, sleet, ice, or dead of night. You must never let the weather or time of day prevent you from taking your Newfie out--not only will this screw up your training, it will result in messes to clean up.
Put your pup on his leash
Put your pup on his leash and take him outside using your cue words. Take him over to the marked spot and let him wander around for a little while. If after 10 to 15 minutes your pup has not gone potty, go ahead and take him back inside. But keep a close eye on him. At the first indication he might be thinking about going potty or in 15 minutes, whichever comes first, take him back outside.
When he finally goes
When your Newfie finally goes potty, be sure to shower him with praise and give him a treat. This helps him to associate good things with going potty outside.
Keep going
Keep working with your pup, slowly increasing the amount of time between potty breaks until he can stay in the house for hours without you having to worry about coming home to landmines planted all over your carpets.
The Eyes on the Prize Method
Effective
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Effective
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Start with plenty of treats
If you don't already have a large supply of treats for your pup laid in, go the pet shop and pick up a generous supply of them. You are going to need a lot of treats by the time the training is over, and your pup is fully potty trained.
Watch him like a hawk
Any time your pup is out of his crate, your job is to watch him like a hawk. If he starts to circle a spot on the floor, squat, lift his leg, or whine, you need to tell him "NO!" in a firm voice. This should stop him in his tracks.
Right outside
Pick your pup up, put him on his leash, give the cue and take him straight outside to his designated potty area. This helps him associate the cue with the action and the final result, in which your pup goes potty outside.
Give him time
At first, your pup might be a little confused, so give him plenty of time to get his focus back on the fact he needs to go potty. When he finally does, be sure to give him lots of praise and a treat.
Time, it's on my mind
Or it should be on yours as you extend the time between trips outside. Just keep working with him and by the time he is six months old, he should be a master at letting you know that he needs to go outside and at using his designated area of the lawn as his personal potty.
Written by PB Getz
Veterinary reviewed by:
Published: 02/22/2018, edited: 01/08/2021
Training Questions and Answers
Oden
Newfoundland
11 Weeks
Question
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
All I hear is that you should not scold your dog. I am trying to potty train. If I see him going in the house, or catch him just after he is done should I scold him? And then do I take him rige out side or just leave it bc he has already gone to the washroom
Sept. 1, 2020
Oden's Owner
Alisha Smith - Alisha S., Dog Trainer
257 Dog owners recommended
Hello! Here is some general information on potty training, and included is the answer to your question. Potty training: Know Your Pup. As you spend time with your puppy, learn your puppy’s love language. Just as some people prefer gifts, touch, or time spent together, puppies can be the same way. Some puppies love praise or pets, while others prefer treats. As you get to know your puppy, consider what reward your puppy loves the most. Create a Daily Schedule. It is best to have a routine for your puppy. A schedule helps them understand when to eat, play, and “go to the bathroom.” Your puppy should go out frequently and the routine should be the same every time. When? Start the day by taking your puppy outside, and repeating based on age and ability. They should also go out after napping, chewing, playing, and within 10 to 15 minutes of eating. Although some puppies can sleep for seven hours, it is important to set an alarm and take your pup out during the night. When you do, don’t make a fuss about it. Quietly take them outside with minimal stimulation and light. Praise them if they go to the bathroom and gently return them to their bed or crate. You don’t want them to get stimulated and ready to play in the middle of the night! As you get to know your puppy, you will become aware of their individual habits. Click here to learn more about house training schedules for puppies. Where? Take your puppy to a specific area to urinate or defecate. Be consistent. You can create an area by using urine-soaked paper or bowel movements to help create an aroma to stimulate your puppy. How? Take your puppy out on a leash so they can focus on the desired activity. This will help prevent them from wandering off to play. Once your puppy is in the selected area, use your verbal cue, such as “Hurry Up,” “Poopies,” “Go tinkle,” or any phrase your puppy responds to. What? Know the signs that your puppy has to go to the bathroom. Every animal may have a different “I gotta go” gesture, which often include restlessness, sniffing around, circling, scratching at the door, barking, and, eventually, squatting. At the first sign that your pup has to go, calmly and quickly take them outside to their bathroom spot. Deal with Accidents. Accidents are a normal part of house training a puppy. What to Do If you see your puppy in the process of urinating or defecating inappropriately, calmly and quickly interrupt them in the act. Tell them to stop (either by a jarring sound or command), and immediately take them to an appropriate location for elimination. After your puppy goes to the bathroom, lavishly praise them and offer a treat. Thoroughly clean up accidents, so your puppy is not attracted to this area again. Create a consistent feeding and watering schedule. Depending on the age of your puppy, they will eat three to four times a day. A consistent feeding routine can create a regular bathroom schedule. Take away water about 2 hours before bedtime. Learn more about ideal dog schedules here. What NOT to Do Don’t punish your puppy when they have an accident. At that point, it is too late. When a puppy has an accident in the house and they walk away, within seconds they have already forgotten about what they did. Taking them to the scene of the crime and yelling and/or rubbing their nose in it does not help and, in fact, can harm your puppy! Supervise. The best thing you can do is to prevent accidents and the best way to do this is to supervise your puppy at all times. You can tether your puppy to your waist with a five or six-foot leash and carefully observe them for signs that they need to go to the bathroom. If you can’t supervise, then crate or confine your puppy. The more accidents your puppy has in the house, the more confusing it will be for them and this can delay house training. Reward, Reward, Reward. It is important to give your puppy a reward for their good behavior. This can be for commands such as sitting and coming to you, or for appropriately eliminating outside. In a puppy, a reward can be a couple kibbles of puppy food or a treat, such as a small piece of meat. The treat should be exciting for them and only available as a result of good behavior.
Sept. 1, 2020
Duncan
Newfoundland
10 Weeks
Question
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0 found this helpful
I rescued Duncan last Monday (it’s Monday now) and potty training started off great...he was kept in a situation where he had never been outside, seen light, or anything (including grass), but I think the adjustments been great. My problem is I work 12 hour night shifts with no break in an area I’m completely new to, so I’m unable to take him out while I’m at work, so I have a potty pad in his play pen that I leave him in, that has a grass pad overtop of it, that I planned to remove once he was about 6 months and old enough to hold his bladder for 12.5 hours. He does great using the grass pad inside his pen and has 0 accidents in there, but when I let him out, I take him to the bathroom every 15 minutes, almost religiously, and he still is having a few accidents a day...and they’re big bladder fulls of water...I haven’t been limiting his water much during the day because I know Newfoundland’s drink a lot, but maybe I should? He doesn’t drink or eat anything 2 about an hour or two before bed. But I’m confused why he’s having accidents during the day in the house...please help? Do I need to remove the puppy pad in his pen? Is that the problem? What can I do? SOS
Aug. 24, 2020
Duncan's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1133 Dog owners recommended
Hello Bailey, I suggest following the Crate Training method from the article linked below during the day. Continue using a grass pad at night. If pup can see the pee pad, I would switch it out for something like what I have linked below instead so it's not fabric but grass he is getting used to pottying on. Crate training method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-german-shepherd-puppy-to-poop-outside Disposable real grass pad - also on amazon: www.freshpatch.com www.doggielawn.com Some puppies will drink for fun, offer pup a little water each time you let them out of the crate but don't give any in the crate to avoid drinking for fun but still ensuring hydration. Without knowing how much water pup is getting I can't say for sure if that's the issue but it may be. If pup is having accidents in the crate after doing the above with water intake and setting up the crate the way the article describes, without fabric in it or too large a size and frequent potty breaks, then the issue could be something medical like incontinence or a urinary tract infection that might lead to frequent pottying - if that's the case I highly suggest a trip to your vet. I am not a vet. Excessive thirst can also be due to a medical issue, so check with your vet about that as well before limiting water intake if it doesn't seem to be pup just having fun drinking a lot. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
Aug. 24, 2020