Potty Training Your Foster Pup

Animal shelters across the country are affected by the pandemic. Many are unable to open and, therefore, rely on foster families to help while they are closed. Many people have stepped up to become a foster parent to these pups, clearing out the majority of shelters.

If you are currently fostering, go beyond just giving your new dog a home. While short-term fostering teaches the dog important social skills about interacting with humans and potentially other animals, you can take it one step further: Commit to potty training your foster dog.

Establishing potty routines with proper training techniques is crucial in the puppy stage, as retraining an adult dog can be extremely difficult. If you’re fostering a young dog or puppy, work with them on potty training.

Pros of Potty Training Your Foster Pup

• Fulfills Your Dog’s Sense of Purpose - Dogs want to please their masters. By giving them this new task to complete, they’ll be eager to please you. 
• Fills Your Free Time - Lots of people want to foster but don’t often have the time it takes to do so properly. One unexpected benefit coming out of the pandemic is that dog lovers now have the time to potty training their foster dogs. 
• Adoptability - While all dogs deserve a loving home, many families are looking to adopt a dog that will fit seamlessly into their existing lifestyle. They are more likely to choose a dog who is already potty trained and has an established potty routine. 

For best results when training a puppy, animal experts recommend using the confinement method; creating an enclosed space for your dog that contains food and water, a bed, BrilliantPad, and some room to play. 

This makes potty training easy! Place your puppy onBrilliantPad: 

• 10-15 minutes after eating, playing, sleeping
• If you notice pacing, circling, or sniffing
• Every 2 hours to reinforce training

Remember to always use positive reinforcement when training your puppy. When they successfully use BrilliantPad, shower your puppy with praise and reward them for doing so. Should they have an accident, simply clean it up and use an enzymatic cleaner likeBrilliantPad Tidy Shot and continue the above potty training methods until a potty routine is established. 

For more puppy potty training tips, watch the video below!