Congratulations! You’re adding a new member to your family: a bernedoodle puppy. Because of their cute, friendly, playful, and lovable nature, they’re great companions at home, especially if you have children. The only problem, however, is that you need to potty-train them.
Potty training is probably one of pet owners’ most dreaded responsibilities. But it’s not as difficult as it seems. In this guide, you will learn the ins and outs of training your bernedoodle, so you don’t have to stress about cleaning up their messes every time.
Why Potty-Training a Bernedoodle Early Is Important
When your bernedoodle puppy comes home, it will undergo a period of adjustment. It needs to familiarize itself with its new surroundings and acclimatize itself to the people around it. As a pet owner, you must adapt to the changes around you during this period and take on new responsibilities brought about by your new puppy.
Although this adjustment period is natural, you must not be complacent. This is the perfect time for you to lay the foundation of your relationship and initiate potty training.
By implementing bernedoodle potty training, you can establish boundaries and influence positive behaviors early on.
Bernedoodles, much like other poodle and mixed poodle breeds, are highly intelligent. This means that they can be trained in various areas easily. However, you need to start their training before developing their routines. Doing so can instill the proper discipline, which will help your furry pals transition to becoming fully house-trained much faster.
How To Potty-Train a Bernedoodle: 5 Effective Tips
You need to consider two crucial factors when potty-training your bernedoodles: patience and consistency. Because no matter how intelligent this dog breed is, you will never see overnight results. As such, you must remain patient and consistent with your practices. You can only instill the proper habits to help your puppies advance in their training.
Look at some helpful tips below to help make your training more effective.
Tip #1: Start Early — As Early As the Puppy’s First Day Home
As much as you want to cuddle your puppies and play with them once they get home, you also need to take time to help them adjust. One way to do so is to start puppy training as soon as possible.
Start by marking boundaries for your bernedoodle puppy. Then, when they poop and pee in that designated area, always give them treats. This will wire their brain early on to associate pottying in the right place with getting treats. As time goes on, this mentality will become a habit, and you can rest assured that your puppies will no longer make a mess of your house.
Tip #2: Pick a Consistent Toilet Spot
When setting boundaries, it’s essential to remain consistent. If you keep changing the designated area, it might confuse your puppies. You can start small by setting a pee pad or a litter box in an easily accessible area of your house. If you have a lawn and would like to teach your dog to do its business outside, make sure to also assign a consistent area for this exact purpose. To ensure this type of training sticks, try to instill this behavior when your bernedoodle is only two to five months old.
Tip #3: Pay Attention When Your Bernedoodle Is Excited
Bernedoodles tend to pee when excited or introduced to a new environment. So, don’t be surprised when they start trickling when you bring your pups home.
As your bernedoodles get older, this trait should gradually disappear. But there may still be instances where they do a little spot urination when they’re extra happy. That said, be prepared and watch your dog’s mood.
Tip #4: Encourage Positive Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement is an effective way to potty-train your bernedoodles. By praising them and giving them treats when they poop and pee in the right place, they will naturally develop the habit of doing it right every time.
When they have accidents in other areas, you must not punish them. Scolding them in any way will only make them afraid of you and afraid of pooping or peeing in your presence. Many trainers believe that punishing your dogs will only do more harm than good.
Tip #5: Use a Crate To Potty-Train Your Puppy
Because of such a large space, your house can be overwhelming for a puppy. A good way to help them adjust is to crate-train them. To do this, you can bring your bernedoodles inside their crate for a few minutes a day to give them quiet time or encourage nap time. Start with 10-minute increments a day, then eventually work up to much longer durations.
To make their crates more comfortable, don’t forget to place their favorite items, such as their bed and a few of their toys. These will make them feel like their crates are their sacred space. As such, they will not feel inclined to desecrate them.
Every time you bring your pups out, take them for a walk so they can potty. If you do this consistently, they will associate that going out of their crate means going potty. Every time they succeed, make sure to reward them with treats.
Warning Signs That Your Bernedoodle Puppy Needs the Potty NOW!
While these tips are beneficial, the key to potty training is to be one step ahead. This means that before your pups start to mark their territory by peeing and pooping in the house, you need to know what warning signs to look out for.
With bernedoodles, you need to know two types of signals: physical and temporal.
On the one hand, physical signs refer to changes in behavior. These involve whining, sniffing, moving to an isolated space, and walking in circles. On the other hand, sometimes, your bernedoodles may bark to indicate that they need to use the bathroom. But this doesn’t happen often. That’s why you need to be diligent when observing your furry friends.
On the other hand, temporal signs refer to timing. There are specific times of the day when bernedoodles need the toilet. These include first thing in the morning, after eating and drinking, after nap time in the crate, and right before going to bed.
Although you’ll become more familiar with their routine as you spend time with your puppies, the trick is to influence their schedule early on — and stick with it.
Set a clear and consistent feeding schedule, nap time, playtime, and bedtime, so you can easily anticipate when they need to go potty. Over time, your pup will get used to this routine, making your life much easier.
Potty Training Your Bernedoodle in a Small Apartment
Potty-training pups in a small apartment may be a little more challenging than in a house with easy access to a backyard or outdoor space.
If you live in an apartment building, you may need to run down the stairs or wait for the elevator before getting your dogs outside to potty. More often than not, this obstacle can add such a hassle to your toilet training. So, rather than tolerating this, a good alternative is to train your dogs to pee and potty indoors using an indoor dog toilet.
You can invest in litter boxes with artificial grass pads to simulate the outdoor environment inside your apartment. Place them in an accessible corner and direct your pups to it whenever they need to pee or potty. This works as well as going outside without running downstairs or waiting for the elevator. Because of the convenience it offers, many apartment owners tend to stick to this method permanently. But of course, the choice is still up to you.
Oh No! Your Puppy Peed or Pooped in the Wrong Place — Here’s What You Need To Do
Whether you potty-train your puppy indoors or outdoors, you will encounter some accidents. During the initial stages, they may poop and pee in the wrong place, and that’s ok. When this happens, pick your puppy up and place them in the correct spot. Once they’re there, start to encourage them to continue what they’re doing using a particular command. When they succeed, praise them and reward them.
Cleaning Up
As a pet owner, remember that accidents happen. It’s only natural. So, when your bernedoodle pups start peeing and pooping in places they shouldn’t be, you need to have a good cleaning plan. The best and ONLY way to eliminate the mess, deep-seated bacteria, and residual smell is to use an enzymatic cleaner. Otherwise, the smell will linger and draw your puppy to the same spot.
If the accident is wrong and your pup gets dirty, you need to clean them using water and dog shampoo in the sink or shower. Doing so will make them look, smell, and feel fresh.
FAQs About How to Potty-Train a Bernedoodle
To know more about bernedoodle potty training, here are some commonly asked questions answered.
How Long Does Potty Training Take?
It can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. The training period usually depends on your availability to supervise and teach. That said, if you can do it consistently, it should speed up the process.
Are Bernedoodles Easy or Difficult To Housetrain?
As a clever dog breed, bernedoodles are pretty easy to train. But again, this will depend on your ability as a trainer. If you instill positive behavior and discipline early on, you will find it much easier to train them. Otherwise, they may develop their attitudes, making it harder for you to adjust.
Key Takeaways
As exciting as adding a new member to your family, it can also be quite challenging. So, with this guide, you can start your bernedoodle potty training early on and help them adjust to the new environment. As a result, you can help them adapt to your lifestyle and make your and your pet’s living conditions more comfortable and agreeable.