Words can’t express how proud I am of my puppy. She has really exceeded the expectations I had set for her training journey. I am so happy to see her remembering everything I’ve worked very hard to teach her !

As you all know, last week we ditched the puppy pads for good. I was a bit nervous to say the least. Having no puppy pads out meant Zola has no choice but to use her bathroom cues to notify us when its time to go outside. This also meant we had to be more aware of  Zola’s schedule to insure no accidents were made inside the house.

When we took away the pads, my dog was very surprised. I know she was confused and wondering where they went because she would go to the spots where we previously laid out the pads, ( under the coffee table and by the front door) looking for them. So when I noticed she was going to her old spots I would immediately say “Cmon Zola lets go potty” and her tail would start wagging immediately as she runs to the front door excited to go outside.

Zola has made so much progress within these last 7 weeks.  I am actually very surprised I was able to accomplish training my puppy in such a short amount of time. This was such a fun and challenging experience for me. I have never had to train a puppy, so for my first time I believe I did pretty well. Zola hasn’t had any accidents in the house in the last 3 weeks, she lets us know when she has to use the bathroom, and when she goes outside she does it in a timely manner.

I wouldn’t have been as successful without all of the help around me. From Youtube videos, to personal testimonies from my other dog owner friends, I have gained so much knowledge and was able to successfully train my puppy. Thank you to all my readers, and I hope that my blog can help you guys along your training journey as well!

Yes, you read that correctly. We’ve officially put away the puppy pads. The past three weeks have required a great deal of patience, consistency, and lots of treats. The thought of potty training a five-month-old puppy made me very anxious, yet I prevailed. If you’ve followed my blog this far, you’ve seen the trials and tribulations that Zola and I have endured. Whether there were accidents or achievements Zola continued to show up and show out and has truly made me a proud dog mom.

I bet you’re wondering how I’m so sure that Zola is ready for the final test in her potty training journey. She has kept a long streak of two weeks without any accidents inside the house. By Zola adapting so well to a very strategic schedule, we are successfully using the bathroom regularly. I started off by feeding Zola at the same time daily in order to track the time between her last meal and next bathroom break. This then made it easier for me to make sure I am taking Zola out at the correct times every day. After just a few days, I began to notice that Zola was ready to use the bathroom when I was taking her out, leading to less use of the puppy pads.

My number one aide in this operation was Peanut Butter Bones. After Zola has had a successful week of potty training, I reward her for her hard work with her favorite snack. I believe using these treats helped Zola see that what she was doing was good and persuaded her to continue the good behavior. Who wouldn’t like to be rewarded with their favorite snack?

I wouldn’t have been able to successfully potty train Zola without some teamwork.  With the help of Zola’s co-owners, it eased a lot of stressors that I was dealing with. We all made sure to take turns taking Zola outside to use the bathroom and also feeding her. During times when I am at work or in school, they make sure to stay consistent with her schedule. If it wasn’t for them I believe it would have taken me twice as long to fully potty train Zola. There would be more use of the puppy pads, due to me not always being able to take her out regularly.

For my puppy parents who are afraid to take this next step in their potty training journey, here is just a couple of reasons why you should:

• Less stress and less mess! You don’t have to spend time cleaning up messy puppy pads.
• Less expensive. Instead of spending $50 on puppy pads that just end up in the trash, you can use that money to buy your greatest boy/girl new toys and treats.
• You’re not encouraging negative behavior. I personally believe having the puppy pads inside the house is giving the dog the OK to use the bathroom inside of the house.

For more information on why you should ditch puppy pads and fully potty train your puppy, refer to the article linked below.

https://www.preventivevet.com/dogs/train-your-dog-to-stop-using-potty-pads

In conclusion, this has been a very long journey, to say the least. But through a consistent schedule,  a little persuasion, and teamwork we were able to get the job done. I am so proud of Zola and very proud of myself and my team for putting in the work.

In the video below I show my go-to tips for helping your dog become ready to rely solely on outdoor bathroom time.

Zola’s Potty Training