How Do You House Train a Toy Poodle?

Dogs Do Not Come with Instructions

Just like newborn babies, you do not get a set of instructions to help you train your toy poodle. You get a lot of ‘expert’ advice but in the end, you are left on your own to use whatever information you have that appeals to you.

Not every training method is one size fits all. Your poodle’s personality and intelligence will play a role in how fast or slow they will be house broken. Take a few moments to read through our article and get some options that will help you train your puppy.

How to Train Your Toy Poodle

1. Reward-Based House Training

This is a very popular method to use as it clearly tells your dog that they did it right. Once they learn more about that good feeling, they are more inclined to repeat that behavior.

For example, when we trained our dog on a leash, he would not move once the leash was put on him. So we walked to the end of the leash, held out our arms and our dog joyfully ran into them. By the end of the walk repeating this process, he loved the leash and jumped with joy every time it was brought out.

The same principle works with house training a toy poodle. Give them the right reward and they will respond in the manner you want them to. To do reward-based training right, you need to:

1. Ignore bad behavior or give the pup a little spank to tell them they did wrong. Don’t abuse the puppy though.
2. Find the treat they like and use that. If the dog sees they are getting their favorite treat, they will respond better.
3. Keep the treat handy so you can give the reward right away and before your pet forgets what he or she did.
4. Raise your dog to be sociable. That way they will know how to act around strangers and other pets. They will get confidence as well.
5. Don’t wait till they are older, start the training when they are young. Toy poodles are intelligent and want to please their masters so this should not be a difficult task to do.

2. Training to Follow Your Commands

It may take a little while for your dog to catch on but with the intelligence a poodle has, that time should not be that long. There is a little trick to this training, you need to be patient. here are some steps to follow:

• Keep All Commands to One-Syllable- While some dogs can learn multi-syllable words, it is best to not confuse them and start will single-syllable commands- sit, stay, walk, down, and so on.
• Keep the Commands Consistent- In other words, everyone in the family needs to use the same commands for the same tasks. You will only confuse your pet by giving different words for the same action.
• Do Two Training Sessions Per Day- Make sure your dog is too tired or lacking concentration when you schedule these training times. Between 10 and 20 minutes should be all the time you will need each day until they learn.
• Reward Your Pet- Once they start to learn hand them a treat, it will help reinforce your training.
• Have Few Distractions- For the best training results, do not do their workout in an area where they will be distracted by other activities. You want them to concentrate on you and your commands.

3. Potty Training

Just a few tips for this activity. There are different ways to go about doing this type of training. Crate training is favored by many pet owners, but it is not always the best method to use.

Newspapers on the floor in your home or one of those potty pads are better trainers than the crate. Plus, it is easier to reward your pet when they go on those spots. Just make sure to move the newspaper or pad closer to the door as your pet learns where they are to go to the bathroom.

Until they are trained, you should not let your dog go into different rooms by themselves. Monitor their activities until you know they know where their bathroom is.

Pick an area on your lawn where your pet needs to go and when they learn that is their bathroom reward them after every successful nature call. Make sure to walk your dog regularly especially about 20 minutes or so after a meal.

The best times are first thing in the morning and the last thing at night. But play it by ear as your dog may be a bit different.

Some Final Words

Training your toy poodle should not take that long. With their intelligence and desire to please you, He or she should be trained in no time. Just use the right methods and rewards to reinforce what you want them to do.