One of our readers sent in an excellent question. They were asking us to discuss how to house train a puppy when you work full time.
We all know that house breaking any dog can be a stressful, and sometimes long, process. This is especially true if you work full-time, or are away from the house for many hours. Here are our best tips to make the process easier.
So before I even start talking about puppy potty training while you work, I want to say congratulations and that I am very happy for you and your family.
My little pet dog has brought me years of love and wonderful companionship and I know you will love your new puppy just as much.
I really do wish you all the lovely rewards that come with owning a pet dog.
Some Time-Saving Ideas to Help Make Life Easier!
Table could not be displayed.So, Let’s Start Looking into Potty Training a Puppy
We have first to remember that house training a young puppy is one of your most important jobs, especially if you spend a lot of time at work.
Most of us would like to skip this part and move on to the fun stuff like teaching the puppy new tricks, walking in the park, or playing ball in the backyard.
But meanwhile, in the real world, we need to train the new pet puppy dog to pee and poop in the right places!
To make matters worse, many people work full time, and being away from home is a huge detriment to a consistent house training regime.
But it can be done. And I will show you how, even if you spend a lot of time away from home or at work.
(BTW, you might find this post about how to find the best beds for puppies really useful).
A Quick Look at the Steps for How to House Train a Puppy When You Work Full Time.
- Find an area that is pleasant and safe for the puppy to spend the day in.
- You should pick a spot that is not too large to create a mess but not too small to be unfair to the dog.
- Choose an area that is easy to clean up if/when the puppy accidents happen.
- Enclose the area with some confinement.
- Add some of the dog’s belongings to space (toys, blankets, chews, etc.).
- Remove any potentially dangerous items.
- Set up a tray with puppy pads.
- Find a helper if possible.
- Come home as regularly as possible to spend some time training your puppy.
- Precondition your puppy by showing him or her what to do when you are home.
- Be patient, kind, and take your time with your puppy.
Now, let’s look at everything in detail so that you can devise your plan to house train your puppy while you work.
Create a Training Area
Find An Area That Is Comfortable and Safe for Your Pet Puppy
As your pet dog is a beloved part of your family. It goes without saying that the puppy should be comfy and safe if it has to stay by itself for long periods of time.
Keeping puppies in a pleasant and safe area is much more likely to help with their potty training.
So it would help if you found an area in your house that is safe and comfortable for your dog to stay in while you go to work.
Very often, the kitchen is the perfect place to leave your puppy during the day. It should be clean and warm and safe.
This will minimize any risk of your puppy being scared or too unhappy when you are away.
Finding the Right Size Area
This step is important because the larger the area you allow the dog to roam free, the more mess you will have to deal with when you come home.
But, if the area is too small, it will be cramped and unhealthy, leading to the puppy engaging in destructive behavior.
Another reason to use a smaller space is that pet dogs need to feel secure.
Large, open areas are overwhelming, while a cozy spot keeps the puppy calmer.
Choose a Space that is Easy to Clean
The chances are that you will have to clean up until your puppy gets the hang of what he or she is supposed to do.
It will take a while for your puppy to understand they have to use the puppy pads for their business.
There is no getting around this, so you may as well make things as easy as possible for yourself. That means you should think about the space carefully.
Kitchens are often good places because there is no carpeting. Alcoves or dining rooms with hardwood floors make good potty training spots, too.
Again, it is a cinch to wipe up the floor if it is hardwood or lino. Obviously, if the area has rugs or carpeting, they will be stained and ruined quite quickly.
You also don’t want to take a chance of the dog peeing on any of your furniture or running into little gaps in the flooring.
So take a while to think of a nice comfortable area. Not too big or too small (more on this next).
Easy to clean and safe for the puppy to play in while you spend the day working.
Why Should You Use A Fenced Area When Potty Training a Puppy?
For the next step, we recommend enclosing the area of your home. This puppy confinement can be done in several ways. If your kitchen is small enough, use a baby gate across the entrance so he can’t get out.
For larger spaces, using a doggy playpen will provide some fencing to keep the puppy confined.
When you first get a new pup, you might not think about creating a confinement barrier, but it will make your life easier for lots of reasons:
- The puppy’s mess will be contained. As I mentioned earlier, the larger the area, the more you will have to clean.
- The puppy doesn’t have free roam to wreck your valuable stuff through chewing, playing, pooping, and peeing.
- It gets the puppy accustomed to his or her own territory. It can be really useful. For example, when visitors come to the house and you want the dog to settle down. Putting them in their fenced-off area can calm them down.
- The dog feels more secure. He or she knows that is their area and knows what to expect when you leave for work. Like humans, the unknown is daunting. But having consistent training in the same area means there is less chance of problems.
- The potty training success rate will be higher when you give the puppy as much consistency as you can.
- Remember that while we are focused on the toilet training in this post. The reality is the dog has a lot to learn and can easily get confused.
But if you have already succeeded, and potty training is complete, then moving on to how to stop your pet from snipping might be your next goal.
Dog Fencing – Top Pick
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One point to consider is the playpen’s size will depend on whether you want the puppy to grow into it and definitely on how big the puppy already is.
Keep the Pup’s Possessions In One Area
Besides the baby gate, doggy playpen, potty trays, and training pads, your dog needs solace while being left alone.
The best way to do that is to put his special blanket in the enclosed area along with any toys and other stimulation that he might like.
Of course, his water and food should be there, too, but make sure you use heavy bowls and keep them to the side so that they don’t get knocked over.
Remove Dangerous Items
We often don’t see the items that we have around the house. We are so used to them being in that spot that we are blind to their existence.
But they can be dangerous to a pup. Examples are potted plants, wires, cords from appliances and other household items, cleaning chemicals, and even some foods such as chocolate, onions, and grapes. If your dog shouldn’t touch, play with, or eat any item, remove it from his area for safety.
Why Use Puppy Pad Trays When Learning How to House Train A Puppy When You Work Full Time
I’ve got plenty of good reasons for you!
- Provides a specific spot to the dog. There is no confusion about where the dog should pee. Often, when using puppy pads alone, the puppy misses and urine rolls under the pad.
- It keeps the potty pads in place. The dog will be moving around throughout the day, and chances are the pads will get pushed around, too. By keeping them contained in a holder, they are going to stay in one place.
- Pads won’t get all torn up or chewed, making them useless. Maybe if the potty liners are not so available, the puppy won’t get the bright idea to chew them up or dig them to pieces with her claws.
- They are more hygienic when kept in one spot. Hopefully, the pup won’t step on the tray as easily. It would lose sheets that are too tempting for the pup to play with even though they might be covered in poop or pee.
- If the puppy moves the holder around, the mess is still contained inside. Usually, there are lips on the sides of the trays to keep everything intact.
- More convenient for you to clean up by removing the pad and tossing it in the garbage. Then you can just do a quick wipe of the floor for sanitizing or freshening up the area.
- If you have no choice but to potty train the puppy in an area with a rug or carpeting, the trays with pee pads will help keep the stains to a minimum.
- Locking the training pads into the tray means the dog pees on the absorbent side and not the plastic sheeting, which would be useless and a waste of pads.
- The holders are neat and tidy, instead of dirty newspapers, which leave black marks on floors and carpets.
- Potty pad trays can be used through the life stages of the dog. Whenever you are away, the dog will know to pee and poop on that spot specifically. When your puppy reaches the senior dog age and has incontinence problems, having trained as a pup to use the tray and pads will make sure she still has a place to relieve herself.
And if you continue to work full time away from home for many years, you will feel better knowing that the dog is not suffering, waiting for you to come home so she can empty her bladder. - Most puppies and adult dogs do not want their own area soiled. They are not dirty by nature. In the wild, they wouldn’t poop in their den or wherever they sleep because predators could find them. Therefore, they don’t want to do it in their territories at home, either.
Puppy Pad Tray – Top Pick
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Enlist A Helper
If there is a family member, a friend you trust, or even a paid dog walker, maybe they can help you with the training. Ideally, it would help if you came home on breaks to supervise the puppy, but that isn’t always possible with many full-time work schedules.
So, if someone else can come in for a short period to encourage the pup to go on the pad and maybe swap out the pads if they are soiled, you could probably toilet train the dog faster.
Lastly, if you get someone to help, such as a dog walker, politely ask them to use the same commands and system that you do so the dog has consistency.
Be Consistent When Able
Ideally, every time you are home, try to get the puppy to use the pee pads. You’ll quickly learn when are the best times because she should be toileted after eating, drinking water, sleeping a long time, and not having gone for a couple of hours.
The pup, herself, will also tell you when she needs to go. Watch for her signals such as scooting the bum, wandering in circles, aggressively sniffing the ground, and sometimes whimpering.
Showing Is Knowing
When you start with the training, you have to initiate the process. Otherwise, the dog will have no clue what to do and what the potty pads are for. You have to show for the pup to know, and you have to take the puppy to the potty area.
Once the pup exhibits any of the behaviors indicating she needs to go potty, get her immediately over to the pad. Pick her up if you have to so you can catch the poop or pee in time. That way, you can reinforce the action.
Also, use the same wording and not a long string of words. Puppies don’t necessarily understand sentences, so find one word to use as the command and continue with that word. Let your helpers know the same word, too.
Once your pup poops or pees on the pad, let her know that she is excellent and maybe even give her the treat to reward the behavior. Even though you have to be away a lot, you can still find the best way to house train a puppy when you work.
Once you’ve mastered the potty training, it should help to keep the pup quiet for the night and not start whimpering and carrying on.
Be Patient and Compassionate When Trying to Train a Puppy When You Work Full Time
It is very easy to get frustrated and quit the process.
But if you understand from the beginning that this is not an easy task, nor is it a fast learning process, you will be better equipped to handle the disappointments.
There is going to be a mess to clean up no matter what you do. Like babies and children, pups learn at different levels and stages.
You will be tired after working all day and will not be in the mood to learn how to housebreak a puppy when you work full time.
But you and I know you must stay strong to be successful.
Also, once that behavior is learned, it is a lot easier from there.
So if you can maintain your composure and keep at it, you will be rewarded. Your pup will be happy, too, because you aren’t nagging him anymore.
Most people wouldn’t think of hurting their dogs, but nerves become frayed, and you wouldn’t want anything negative to happen. Avoid hitting the dog or punishing it in any way, as it really does not help the cause.
Please don’t ever take puppies and rub their nose in the mess (make sure the dog walker knows this as well).
You will only have more work having to wash the dog, plus that is quite unsanitary.
The poop may have worms or other parasites, and you are making your pup sicker than she might be already. Diligence and praise are the keys here.
Note – You might also find this post about what you should expect with a new puppy useful.
Final Note On How To House Train A Puppy When You Work
Determination, consistency, preventative actions, thoughtful choices, loving behaviors, rewarding good behavior, helpers, and the right supplies will all work together to make your journey a success!
Puppies are amazing, but they need some hard work to help them grow into a well-behaved adult dog.
