Bringing a new Weimaraner puppy home is a very exciting time. There are few things cuter than those blue eyed babies. Along with all the fun a new puppy brings comes a big responsibility. You are in charge of teaching this tiny Weimaraner how to behave in your house. Basic training can start from the day you bring your puppy home. Potty training is sure to top the list of things you would like him to learn. Where do you start?
House training a puppy takes quite a lot of time and commitment. It is not a difficult thing to do, but it does take your full attention for a several weeks. Weimaraner puppies are very smart and learn things quickly. Setting a daily routine and being consistent with your new puppy’s boundaries is the fastest way to get them potty trained.
I have house trained many Weimaraners over the past 30 years and have learned a few techniques that have made things easier for me. Hopefully these tips can help you too.
When To Start Potty Training
I start house training my Weimaraner puppies as soon as I get them, usually around 8 or 9 weeks old. I have found that puppies that were younger than 8 weeks old when I got them took a bit longer to potty train. I would recommend not taking a new puppy away from their mom and littermates before they are 8 weeks old if at all possible.
The first few days I have a new puppy home I make many, many trips outside to let the puppy use the bathroom. I use the words “go potty” when we first get outside and then praise the puppy a lot when he or she goes to the bathroom. These words mean nothing to the puppy at first, but eventually they learn what it means and will go on command, which is very helpful when travelling or showing.
When a new puppy has an accident inside my house I quickly make my “no” sound to get their attention (I use a loud Eh! Eh!), pick up the puppy and take him or her outside. I tell him to “go potty” and give a lot of praise when he goes. Being very consistent with this will make the entire house training process go more quickly.
It is important to keep your attention on the puppy at ALL times during the first several weeks at your house to prevent him from using the bathroom inside. You do not want your puppy to have many accidents in your home without being redirected to the appropriate behavior. The fewer accidents he is allowed to have in the house, the faster your Weimaraner puppy will learn where it is ok to use the bathroom.
It is also very important to never yell at, hit or rub your puppy’s nose in anything when he has an accident inside your home. Simple redirection is the only appropriate consequence for a new puppy. At this point if the puppy has an accident it is your fault for not watching it. The only thing harsh punishments will accomplish is scaring your puppy and make him not trust you.
After a few days your Weimaraner puppy will be settled in to life at your home. You will begin to notice a pattern of when the puppy uses the bathroom and behaviors he or she may have to indicate she needs to go. A lot of my puppies will start to sniff a lot and walk in circles right before they go. Some will wander to a particular spot in my house if they have to use the bathroom. When I see the particular behavior that indicates the need to go, I immediately take the puppy outside, tell him “go potty” and praise him a lot when he is done.
Setting A Schedule
About a week or so after your puppy arrives, you should have some type of regular routine in place. Mine usually go something like this at first:
- Wake up
- Go outside to potty
- Eat breakfast
- Go outside to potty
- Supervised play in a small area inside the house
- Nap
- Go outside to potty
- Outside playtime in a safe area
- Eat lunch
- Go outside to potty
- Nap in crate
- Go outside to potty
- Outside playtime in a safe area
- Eat dinner
- Go outside to potty
- Supervised play time inside
- Go outside to potty
- Bed time in crate
- Midnight bathroom break
This may seem like a lot but having a set routine and being consistent with it will help make house training go much faster. Having a new puppy is a huge commitment and all of the time spent in the first few weeks will be well worth it. This is building a solid foundation for training the puppy. Puppies require less time as they grow up.
Using a Crate
Crate training is a must for Weimaraners, but it is not the same thing as house training. Crate training can actually delay potty training if the puppy spends too much time in the crate. I wrote another article all about crate training that goes into more detail on this. You can read that post HERE.
Crate training and house training can happen at the same time as long as you make sure your puppy is spending a lot of time outside of his crate while inside your home. Crates are small and puppies naturally do not want to use the bathroom while inside one. The goal of house training or potty training is to have the puppy learn not to use the restroom inside the house. A puppy needs to spend a lot of time inside the house, but not in the crate, to learn this.
Crates are great for nap time or when you cannot supervise your puppy at all times. Just be careful not to use the crate too much before your puppy is house trained.
Tips For Inside Playtime
I usually block off a small room or a hallway with a baby gate to give my puppies a place to play inside the house when they are very young. This makes it much easier for me to be able to supervise them and catch any bathroom accidents before they happen.
Having a place to play inside helps to teach a Weimaraner puppy not to use the restroom in the house. Since puppies naturally want to keep their living spaces clean, they will do their best to not eliminate in that area. I expand the puppy’s play area as they get older.
Tips For Night Time
A helpful tip to get a puppy to sleep well at night is to make sure he gets a good play time right before bed. Take him out to use the restroom right before putting him in his crate for bed time. Very young puppies may not be able to go through the night without using the bathroom. If your puppy cries in the middle of the night he should be let out to potty. Try not to talk to the puppy too much or play with him when taking him out at night. Take him outside, use the “go potty” cue, tell him he is a good boy after he goes and then put him right back into the crate. The puppy needs to learn quickly that night time is for sleeping, not playing.
Don’t Give Up
House training can seem like it takes a very long time. It is easy to get frustrated with it. Don’t give up! All of this puppy training will pay off soon, I promise. The more consistent you are with your puppy’s schedule and the better you are at preventing accidents from happening in the house, the faster your Weimaraner puppy will be potty trained.