Finally, you have that Bernedoodle you’ve been dreaming of. It’s now time to learn Bernedoodle potty training to make both your lives at ease. At first, it may seem overwhelming. But, anything done for the first time can be scary and intimidating. Over time, you will learn the right way to potty train your new pet. The good news is that Bernedoodle are smart breeds and they are easy to train. With the right guidance, you can martyr the techniques on how to effectively potty train it. This is going to be exciting learning for you and your furry company, so just enjoy it! 

Understanding the importance of potty training for Bernedoodles

Why do you need to master Bernedoodle potty training? This is like asking, why do you need a roof over your head? It is essential to keep you protected. Similar to the training, it is important if you want to keep your peace of mind and stay sane. Imagine coming home from a long day at work, you open the door and you’re greeted with piss and poo scattered all over your house. No pet owner would want to be in this situation no matter how much they love their canine companion. Read below some of the reasons why proper potty training is essential. 

• Keeps your home or garden area looking clean and in one piece 

• Keeps your dog's poop or piss away from other members of your family, especially your kids

• This prevents any accidents from happening such as a family member slipping into its urine on the floor

• Helps develop a strong bond between the owner and the pet. This ensures that you won’t give up on your pet. According to the American Kennel Club, one of the top reasons why dogs end up in shelters is due to house soiling. Potty training is a way of developing a bond where your dog learns to trust you and vice versa.  

• Reduces the chances of you having to scold or hurt your pet for their mess. There could be times when your Bernedoodle could make a mistake and urinate where it wasn’t supposed to. Never hurt or shout at it if you want to keep a good relationship with it for a long time. 

Remember that Bernedoodle potty training could take a long time. It could even take more than a year before your dog becomes consistent on where to leave their ‘goods.’ So be very patient, at the end of it you will have a well-behaved dog. Clear communication and mutual understanding between the dog and its owners is a must to have a harmonious relationship.

When to start potty training your Bernedoodle puppy

The earlier you start with the training the better. Once your puppy gets home, you can immediately start with its training. Similar to a baby who doesn’t have any control as to when and where it will urinate, your pup can pee anywhere in its new home. With their developing bladder, they can’t hold their urine for such a long time. This is why it's recommended that you start with the Bernedoodle potty training program as soon as you can. 

Before even picking up your new puppy from a shelter or a breeding house, you should have already decided which part of the house it will be staying in. Their space could be a small room. You may also use a crate to help you in their potty training. They would need to go out of their place to relieve themselves. This means that you would also need to be up to take your puppy out of the crate.

Setting up a designated potty area

There are considerations that you need to factor in when selecting their potty area. Check out the list below. 

• The designated potty area should be accessible for both of you. The puppy may find it difficult to hold its urine so you have to get to it right away and bring it to the potty area. Imagine if you are living upstairs and the dog is on the ground floor. It would be too much hassle for you to be going up and down the stairs whenever the dog needs to pee. 

• The spot should be convenient for both of you. If your room is downstairs and the puppy is also on the ground floor, it's more convenient for the both of you to go out of the backyard 

• Easy to clean. Choose a spot that is not only accessible but also easy for you to clean up after. If you choose a spot in your garden, you can easily hose it down with water. 

• Keep it private. Make sure that the spot is secured and private. Remember that once your puppy is trained well, it should do its own thing alone. You need to make sure that even in your backyard, the puppy is still safe and protected.  

Choosing the right potty training method for your Bernedoodle

As the saying goes, there are plenty of ways to kill a chicken. There are also several ways to potty train a Bernedoodle. You can first do your research and read about it. Afterward, evaluate which one suits you best. 

1. Crate Training: Simply put, this training involves the use of a crate to help the puppy control its bladder. The crate helps to establish a particular routine. In addition, it eliminates accidents from happening. The idea behind this concept is for the puppy to keep its space clean. 

2. Paper Training: In this training, it uses the aid of a newspaper or a pee pad. This type of training is ideal for people living in smaller spaces. This can be a starter until you have fully transition into the designated potty area. 

3. Outdoor Training: If you have enough space in your place, you can have the potty training done outdoors. Establish a routine and bring your puppy outside on a regular schedule. Be consistent with the timing and use positive reinforcement whenever applicable. 

Establishing a consistent schedule for potty breaks

To be successful in your potty training, you both have to be consistent with the schedule. The puppy will soon learn to leave their discharge. Consider the following factors when you’re establishing a routine. 

1. Learn the frequency when you need to take it. This entails pet parents closely monitoring their puppy. You will learn from its behavior when it is time to pee. For small puppies, they usually have to be taken out every 1-2 hours. But this differs, depending on the dog. You can take it out, especially after every meal or a long nap. Puppies also develop certain behaviors over time to signal that it’s time to go. Some pets would usually be barking to call your attention. Others will start going into circles.  

2. Do not forget to give rewards. Remember when we were young, teachers would stamp stars on our hands for every good job? This makes us feel good and keeps our retention high. Similar to your Bernedoodle puppy, positive reinforcement is recommended for every job well done. You can give them treats, scratch their belly or praise them whenever they are successful with the job. 

Positive reinforcement techniques for successful potty training

When it comes to positive reinforcement, there are plenty of things you can try any of the ones listed below. You can even try all of it, just don’t overdo it. 

1. Verbal praise: Whenever your dog does the job well, you can say "Good job!" or "Nice potty!" to let them know that they did a great job. 

2. Give rewards: Rewards come in many forms. You can give them treats as a reward, hand them their favorite toy, give them a belly rub, or just pet them for 5 minutes. This makes them understand that they did something good.

3. Use a clicker. This makes use of a clicker to reinforce a successful job. Whenever it hears the clicker, it will associate it with a great job.  

It will take a lot of patience on your part to train your pet. Can you imagine a baby learning to walk right away and going to the toilet a few days after being born? Bernedoodle potty training is a process. You must be consistent to have a well-behaved dog that knows where to poop or pee. 

Dealing with accidents and setbacks during the potty training process

Mistakes are inevitable. Even for us pet parents, there would be times when we could miss the signals that our pet is about to pee. There would be difficult days and your pup could also make mistakes. These are some of the ways you can deal with it. Do not scold or shout at it. You don’t want your puppy to be fearful of you. 

1. Clean it right away. Make sure to clean the area right away to prevent accidents from happening. You don’t want your wife stepping into your puppy's poop or your kid slipping due to its urine. Cleaning it right away also removes the odor from the spot. Removing the scent reduces the possibility that your pup will pee in that area again. 

3. Take time to assess your training: If the mistakes are becoming frequent, reassess your training, maybe something is off. Your puppy might have to go earlier than you expect it to. Or probably the rewards are not enough to keep them interested. 

Common potty training mistakes to avoid

To be successful in potty training your Bernedoodle puppy, be wary of these common mistakes. Avoid committing them so you can build a harmonious and happy relationship with your puppy.   

1. Lack of consistency: It would be challenging to develop a routine if you lack consistency with your schedule. Failure to provide treats on time will confuse your puppy.

2. No supervision: You need to keep a close eye on your dog to make sure that it’s properly doing its job. Unsupervised puppies are more prone to making mistakes. You might be in for a big surprise if you just leave your puppy on its own. 

3. Failure to read the signs: In connection to having an unsupervised dog, you won’t know what signals it's giving if it wants to pee. Since you’re not around most of the time, you’ll fail to read the signs. This is why close monitoring is recommended. 

4. Applying negative reinforcement: Yelling or punishing your puppy will lead to stress, fear, and anxiety. These are the right ingredients for having a happy and healthy dog. 

Additional tips and tricks for successful Bernedoodle potty training

Below are bonus tips and tricks that you can follow to master the art of potty training your Bernedoodle. 

1. Check how much water it takes: If you can monitor its water intake, you can better evaluate and assume how frequently it would need to urinate.  

2. Journal your potty training: This is beneficial in tracking the progress of your training. You can also include the times when it makes a mistake. Journal your observation and if there are any changes to your daily routine. This will help you work on your weaknesses. 

3. Regular exercise is a must: Needless to say, we all know that exercise is beneficial to both humans and their furry companions. You don’t have to take a daily walk. You can incorporate exercise during the play session to make it fun and engaging. Exercise will help keep both of you relaxed. 

4. Ask a professional: It won’t hurt to ask a professional dog trainer or behaviorist if things are getting out of hand. These are the best people to provide you with advice on what to do with your puppy. 

Every dog is unique on its own. Even though Bernedoodle is an easily trained breed, it still needs the proper guidance from its pet parent. Being able to potty train your dog at an early age, the sooner you can have an amicable relationship with each other. Think of it as not having to clean after a roommate all day. You can focus your time and energy on something else. When mistakes are made, be patient. If you wish to get Stokeshire puppies that are already potty-trained, read more about our Stokeshire Bootcamp. Remember training should be a journey where both of you should be learning and growing. Over time, your puppy will learn its way and you’re both off to a stronger bond.