Pitbull Puppy: Potty Training

To start with, you can’t expect your puppy to be fully house trained and fully reliable before he’s six month of age. That being said,a dog can be potty trained between one to six weeks. A lot depends on your puppy’s size and mostly the hard work you put into house training him.
There is also the fact that your puppy won’t have adequate bladder and bowel controls before he’s 16 weeks old. In other words, he’s not able to “hold it” for long periods so you should be extra vigilant all through that period.
But that doesn’t mean that you can’t start house training him the minute he put his paws into your home. It simply means that you have to expect your pitbull puppy to have a couple of accidents. But don’t worry, we will guide you through everything you’ll need to deal with these little mishaps, from how to react to how to clean up.
One of the key to house training success is being able to predict when your dog will need to eliminate.
Your pitbull puppy will most likely need to relieve himself:
First thing in the morning.
After meals because the expansion of the stomach will exert pressure on the bladder and the colon.
After drinking water.
After waking up from a nap.
During and/or when playing or exercising.
After chewing on his chew toys.
After every excitement(someone knocking at the door,guests arriving for example)
Following a ride in the car (that’s why the first thing you should make sure is to bring your puppy home to his Elimination Zone. (EZ) or his Toilet Stop (TS) so he can relieve himself)
During the “active” periods (between six and ten in the morning and five and nine in the evening)
After smelling another dog’s urine or seeing him urinate.
When he leaves his crate.
Last thing at night.
As you can tell, your pitbull puppy will need to go out quite often. But don’t despair, as he grows up he will need to be taken outside not as much as he use to.
Establish an elimination schedule:
Pitbulls thrive on a regular routine. By feeding and exercising your Pitbull at roughly the same time each day of the week, he’ll as well relieve himself on the same time every day.
Decide a schedule to feed the puppy that’s convenient for you. Always feed at the same time. Until he’s 4 months of age, he needs four meals a day; from 4 to 7 months, three daily meals are appropriate. From then on, feed twice a day, which is healthier than feeding just once.

A sample feeding schedule follows:
7 weeks through 4 months — four times a day
4 months to 7 months — three times a day
7 months on — two times a day
Establish a regular toilet area:
Feed the appropriate amount — loose stools are a sign of overfeeding; straining or dry stools a sign of underfeeding. With ten minutes, pick up the dish and position it away. Don’t have food available at other periods. Keep the diet constant. Abrupt changes of food may possibly cause digestive upsets.
Start by selecting a toilet area and always take your Pitbull to that spot when you want him to eliminate. If possible, pick a place in a straight line from the house. Carry your puppy or put him on leash. Stay still and let him concentrate on what he’s doing. Be tolerant and allow him sniff around. When he’s finished, tell him what a clever puppy he is and play with him for a little. Don’t take him straight back inside so that he doesn’t get the idea that he simply gets to go outside to make his business and learns to delay the process solely to stay outside.
Witnessing the act of your puppy relieving himself outside, followed by playtime, Is perhaps one of the most valuable facets of housetraining. The primary sign of not spending sufficient time outside with your puppy is after he comes back inside and has an accident. Letting the puppy out by himself isn’t good enough — you have to go with him until his schedule has been developed.
Take your pitbull puppy to his toilet area when waking up, shortly after eating or drinking, and after he has played or chewed.
No matter how careful and vigilant you are, your pitbull puppy will produce an accident. Housetraining accidents could be simple mistakes, or they can be indicative of a natural problem. The secret to remember Is that, as a universal Rule, pitbulls like to be clean. When your Pit has had an accident in the house, don’t call him to you to punish him. It’s too late. If you do punish your dog under these circumstances, it won’t help your housetraining efforts, and you’ll make him wary of wanting to get nearer to you.
A general misconception is that the dog knows “what he did” because he looks “guilty.” definitely not so! He has that look because from earlier experience he knows that after you happen to come across a mess, you become furious at him. He has learned to associate a mess with your response. He hasn’t and can’t make the connection between having made the mess in the first place and your anger. Discipline after the fact is the quickest way to undermine the bond you’re trying to build with your dog.
Pitbulls are smart, but they don’t think in terms of cause and effect. After you come home from work and scream at your dog for having an accident in the living room, you aren’t encouraging your dog to make use of his toilet area. All you’re doing is letting him know that occasionally you’re really kind and sometimes you’re really mean. Swatting your dog with a rolled-up newspaper is cruel and just makes him scared of you and rolled-up newspapers. Rubbing his nose in it is unhygienic and disgusting.
Pitbulls’s could become housetrained in spite of such antics, but certainly not because of them. When you come upon an accident, all the time keep calm. Place your pitbull out of sight so he can’t watch you clean up. Use white vinegar or a stain remover. Don’t use any ammonia-based cleaners, because the ammonia doesn’t neutralize The odor and the pitbull puppy will be attracted to the same spot.
Accidents are just that — accidents. The most terrible thing you can make is call your dog to you to punish him. Your Pit didn’t do it on purpose, and the majority of dogs are just as horrified by what happened as you are.If you catch your dog in the act, sharply call his name and slap your hands. If he stops, take him to his toilet area. If he doesn’t, allow him to finish and don’t become furious. Don’t try to drag him out since that will make your clean-up job that much more challenging. Until your puppy is dependable, don’t let him have the run of the house unsupervised.