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Potty training a Lab puppy tends to be relatively straightforward.
They are intelligent, responsive dogs who always aim to please – which is why they happen to be one of the most popular breeds in the USA.
But as with all aspects of training, it is essential to make certain that you lay strong foundations from the outset.
A common phrase used in potty training is ‘housebreaking’ – one that will not be used here because the objective is to coach your Lab puppy to do their business in the right place!
Accidents are inevitably going to happen, but providing you keep your cool and remain consistent when following the advice in this article, you’ll have a potty trained Lab in no time.
The Best Age To Start Potty Training Your Lab
Ideally, the very moment you bring your puppy home!
There’s no point in letting bad habits form, so sensible owners will look towards establishing potty points from the outset.
Potty training ought to be considered a little separate from other forms of training.
Depending on who you listen to, some people will claim that you can enact any kind of training from around eight weeks onwards.
Others will claim that anything before 12-16 weeks is futile.
But regardless of who you believe, the truth is that your Lab is going to value cleanliness from a very young age.
They do not want to cause a mess and displease their new family!
So while trying to teach a Lab pup command training at this age may not yield much in the way of results, potty training is certainly on the agenda.
So start right away and you’ll be saved a lot of mess further down the line.
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Potty Training A Lab Puppy Compared To Other Breeds
All dogs have different temperaments but Lab puppies are famous for being one of the easiest breeds to train during their early months.
Not only are they smarter than most (apologies to owners of other breeds!) but they delight in making their family happy.
You’ll notice this in their seemingly endless amounts of energy, enthusiasm and of course appetite!
Many trainers would agree that Labs are so malleable when it comes to potty training because they naturally understand the association between behavior and reward.
Providing you keep a pocket full of treats and positively reinforce their good behavior during training, they will pick this up faster than most.
However, this does not stop once you have managed to effectively potty train your Lab puppy.
But it should be considered the first stage in training and a great foundation for further obedience training.
But whatever you do, don’t expect you Lab pup to automatically fall into synch with their potty routine.
Coming to a new home is going to be full of interesting new experiences – and inevitably territory to mark out.
They will be adapting to a new environment, routine and ‘pack’ (your family) so potty training is going to be the last thing they will likely be worried about.
Like all puppies, Labs have small bladders and will not yet have developed the physical capacity to hold it in for long.
So expect them to need to go every couple of hours or so and remember, the sooner they are used to using their potty spot the better.
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The Essentials Of Potty Training A Lab Puppy
Let’s begin by setting out the essentials.
Before bringing your new pup home, you should already have made a checklist and strategy over all aspects of their easy integration into the family.
Right towards the top of that list ought to be deciding on a suitable spot for them to do their ‘business’.
Remember that once you have decided on this it is a bad idea to try and change it, so be sure that this is where you want them to go and be prepared to stick to it.
It ought to be…
- Easy to reach both during the day and at night.
- Well ventilated and away from family living areas.
- Located on easy to clean floors (never carpet!).
- Away from their feeding spot.
- Ideally providing a degree of privacy to help them feel secure.
Assuming you have driven your puppy home and just released them from their crate, chances are that one of the very first things they will need to do is use the toilet.
So carefully pick them up right away and take them to their approved spot.
If you are lucky – and this happens more often than you’d expect – they will understand right away what you mean and perform the necessary.
What an ideal start!
But if not, just keep an eye and wait for any signs that they are about to go.
Seriously – watch them like a hawk!
The moment they give the signal, scoop them up and take them to the approved spot. Starting from a successful example is always a good thing!
The following examples will be based mostly on training your puppy where to go indoors.
Deciding when it is suitable to let them out into the yard to perform their business depends on environmental factors.
Such as…
- Are they going to be spooked by noise/scents?
- Is the yard fully enclosed? (essential)
- Is someone even going to be there to let them go whenever they need?
You should have considered these questions before bringing your pup home, but for now, we’ll focus on indoor potty training.
Before we get into more detailed routines it is worth just quickly mentioning the importance of how to correctly lift your Lab puppy.
You will be picking them up and dropping them off a lot over the next week or longer!
Basically, look to carry your puppy much like you would a human child.
Supporting them underneath and at the butt.
Avoid lifting them from underneath the arms as this will be not just uncomfortable but also add unwanted and easily avoided stress.
And never ever lift them from the back of the neck.
This method may be considered a more ‘intensive’ option as it requires someone (ideally yourself) to be around your puppy over the first 4-6 weeks.
It does require near-constant supervision so can be a little overwhelming, especially when you have to clean up multiple accidents during the early stages.
Just remember to keep your cool and refrain from expressing anger at your puppy.
And be assured, they are trying their best!
Related Post: How To Toilet Train A Puppy In 7 Days
#1 – Establishing The Toilet Area
Routine is key to any effective training schedule and potty training is no different.
Set an alarm on your phone/watch for every two hours.
That is the minimum whereby you will need to scoop up your puppy and take them to their toilet zone.
Of course, do not forget that they may want to go five minutes after they decided that they didn’t!
Keep an eye on them and take them there at the first sign that they show discomfort.
On top of this, establish a routine for exact times every day.
You should also take them to their potty…
- After eating
- First thing in the morning
- After walking
- Last thing at night
- After playtime
A common question asked by many new owners is “how do I tell if my Lab puppy needs the toilet”?
Let’s just say that you will learn by their mannerisms and facial expressions pretty early on!
Each puppy is different but you’ll soon figure it out.
Remember to reward your puppy each time they manage to get it right!
At every stage of this training, you want to be reinforcing positive behavior wherever it is due.
As mentioned above, the greater the incentive for them to potty appropriately the faster they will adapt.
#2 – Encouraging Self Control
So far – so easy!
But chances are that after a couple of weeks of lifting your pup to their toilet zone thirty times over day and night it may be becoming wearisome.
The next step is a lot more arbitrary and depends on how well your pup has taken to becoming used to where their toilet is and when they are expected to use it.
Ideally, they will at least attempt to go every time they are taken there – even if they are empty.
But now we want to steer the Lab pup towards learning restraint and how to hold it in.
Remember that up until now they are used to going whenever they need to so this is a challenge for them.
When you see your pup is showing signs of needing to go, let them sweat it out a little longer than usual.
Keep a very close eye on them and try to allow for a couple of minutes before taking them to their potty zone.
Increase timing
Once they can last this long, extend it incrementally by another couple of minutes and so on until you reach ten minutes.
When the pup can last this long, chances are that they will have physically grown to an extent whereby they may be able to move up to 15, then 20, 25 and 30 minutes (and so on).
Now, there will be accidents. But when that happens, simply go back to the previous stage they were comfortable with and try again.
It is a good idea to keep the intervals to only daily changes as anything else may seem unnecessarily disruptive and too far out of routine.
A handy tip for households is to keep a whiteboard and list how long to keep the pup waiting before being taken to the toilet.
Should I use a crate?
Yes! Getting your Lab puppy used to their crate is an essential training routine that is worthy of its own guide. But they can play a very useful role in establishing self-control.
The last thing your pup is going to want to do is to make an accident where they sleep – but just be careful that you don’t leave them too long.
Figuring out when it is on the verge of going too far is a lesson that can only be learned by trial and error.
A good idea for training this way (which can be incorporated into general crate training) is to keep them in their cage after a very long play time.
Only let them out when they express a need for the bathroom and have passed the ‘holding in’ target.
The key is simply not to push them too hard too fast.
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#3 – Engage Trust
There is no exact timeline for each puppy, but ideally, you’d be looking for your Lab pup being able to hold it in successfully for at least an hour by 13-14 weeks.
By then they also ought to know where their potty zone is, and have figured out where is completely out of bounds!
Now it may be time to consider introducing them to other parts of the home and even encourage a little independence.
It really depends on how well they have adapted and how far you are willing to trust them to mostly stick to their potty.
Remember, accidents will still happen at this stage especially when they are excited.
It may also be time to introduce them to the yard assuming it is safe.
Do so by keeping them on the leash and speak softly and encouragingly when they get it right.
By 3-4 months you will hopefully have a puppy who is capable of raising attention when they want to potty in the yard.
And one who’s also confident in going inside when that is the only available option.
Once the groundwork is established it really all does come down to repetition and patience.
Final Thoughts
Training your Lab pup to successfully potty is a relatively straightforward process and one that also works very well with early crate training.
But just like caring for a human infant, you will have to put in a considerable amount of effort during the first few weeks.
It can be tough at times, but this is one of those cases where the more you put in the quicker the results will come.
As the Lab ages, it will become more familiar with their schedule just as it becomes more adept at holding on for longer.
Accidents are going to happen during the first few months.
Irritating as this may be, just stick with it and never scold your dog for slipping up.
Even Lab pups who manage to go a week without any incident still need to be monitored as you never know when they may just forget for a second.
But above all, if you keep at it and get this right, it will make other aspects of training a whole lot easier later on.
Do you have anything you’d like to add about successfully potty training a Lab puppy? Feel free to add your experiences and tips in the comments section below.
The more advice the better!
FREE Training: Potty Training Techniques To GUARANTEE Your Puppy’s Potty Training Success…
