How to accustom a puppy to a diaper at 1,2,3 months: quick and effective ways

With the advent of a four-legged friend in the family, the owners add many new worries. In the first three months, you still cannot walk outside with the puppy, since all the necessary vaccinations have not been received. And many owners have a question: how to teach a puppy to go to the toilet in a diaper? Learning should happen smoothly and naturally; if this is not done, there will be puddles and excrement all over the house. To solve the problem, many owners of four-legged friends use special moisture-absorbing wipes. Read the article about how to properly train not only a puppy, but also an adult dog, to use a diaper.

What is important to know before teaching your puppy to go to the toilet in a diaper?

In addition to buying food and care items, you need to take care of the toilet issue. Find out from the breeder whether the puppy is diaper trained or not. If yes, then everything is quite simple, you need to purchase the same ones. If the baby is not yet familiar with the features of the toilet, then all the responsible work will fall on your shoulders.

You need to choose disposable absorbent diapers or reusable ones that can be washed. There is no big difference for the dog, it is about the convenience of the owner. If you have a pet of a miniature breed and in the future you do not plan to walk it outside to relieve itself, then, for example, you can immediately accustom a Yorkie puppy to a special tray for dogs.

To make the learning process easier, you can purchase special products in the form of a spray for toilet training and a separate one for places where shitting is not allowed at a veterinary pharmacy or pet store. Such solutions are produced by different manufacturers: 8 in 1, Mr. Fresh, Smart Spray, Kiss and others.

Means and spray for training a puppy to a diaper are selected individually. You may have to buy products from different manufacturers and choose the most suitable one. Some owners note an unpleasant smell of the spray or a lack of effectiveness in their particular case, while others are satisfied with everything.

Using the solution is simple: you need to spray a small amount onto a diaper twice a day and let your puppy sniff. Treat the diaper regularly; this will help in the future when accustoming him to the street. It will be enough to spray the product in the right place, and the puppy’s reflex to the familiar smell will work.

It is important to note that at different ages the bladder filling rate of dogs differs:

At 3-4 weeks in 45 minutes.
At 2 months for 1 hour 15 minutes.
At 3 months 1.5 hours.
At 4-5 months 2 hours.
After 6 months the interval becomes even longer.

If you urinate more often than once every 45 minutes, then this is a reason to visit a veterinarian to rule out cystitis.

Is it possible to sew it yourself?

Essentially, a reusable absorbent pet diaper is simply a piece of special fabric stitched around the edges. You can easily sew one yourself if you find this material. Almost all diaper manufacturers use a special membrane fabric produced by Avalon Invest LLC. The difficulty is that such fabric is sold only in rolls of 20 meters. But for large kennels or kennel clubs this is beneficial, since a roll of fabric can be purchased by chipping in and divided among animal owners. Make your own dog diaper. And it will be much cheaper than buying it in a store. In addition to saving money, such a diaper can be made of any size and shape in accordance with the area of the enclosure or carrier.

Getting a puppy used to a diaper at 1 month

Prepare the apartment for the arrival of a new tenant: remove carpets, shoes and other items lying on the floor. If the surface is slippery, you will have to purchase a coating that will be easy for you to clean and you won’t mind throwing away when your baby grows up. Slippery floors can injure your dog's paws.

Cover the rest of the surface where the puppy will go to the toilet with diapers. By the age of one month, the baby still does not control the process, so he can pee and poop anywhere. There is no point in scolding him for this.

The first stage is just getting to know each other. It is not yet possible to accustom a one-month-old puppy to a diaper; there will still be mistakes.

Foreign or domestic manufacturer: selection criteria

Diapers for puppies and adult dogs can be purchased in almost any online store, pet store or market. Domestic, "Peligrin") offer goods costing 500-3000 rubles. American and Western European-made diapers (“Four Paws”, “Ezwhelp”) can be purchased for no less than $7. Chinese manufacturers offer cheaper goods, which occupy a large part of the market and do not have any special identification marks. By the way, the price depends on the size of the product and the presence of “bells and whistles”: antibacterial impregnation, an adhesive layer for fastening, stimulating interest in emptying the impregnation, or a humidity indicator. The structure of the rug is the same for all manufacturers. The main difference is the quality of materials for production. From this point of view, diapers from Western European manufacturers are considered the best products, followed by American products. The Russian manufacturer is in third place. China offers the most low-quality product, but the cheapest.

Features of training at 3 months

Ideally, a puppy should be taken from the breeder to a new home no earlier than three months, after routine vaccinations. There is also a chance that the previous owner has already introduced the baby to the diaper and you will not need to put in much effort.

At this age, the puppy is already more conscious about the process of urination and defecation. But you should still diaper your puppy every time after feeding and sleeping.

If the baby makes a puddle in the wrong place, then blot it with a diaper. Treat this area with antigasin. Place the puppy on the diaper so that he understands that it is necessary to urinate on it.

Do not use physical force, do not poke your nose or hit him with a newspaper. There will only be fear, and there will be no understanding of why the owner is punishing for a normal physiological process. To prepare your dog for upcoming walks outside, you can carry him for short walks in your arms. At home, begin introducing the leash and collar.

Read a useful article on the topic: “Teaching your pet to go to the toilet in the right place or on a walk.”

How to work with learning difficulties

Place several diapers in those places where the dog most often misses. Gradually remove the less popular ones, those that the puppy uses less often.
Pay attention to which diaper the dog wears most often. Perhaps he tells you the most comfortable place for him.
If the puppy regularly misses and walks to the edge of the designated area or nearby, try buying a larger oilcloth or placing two nearby.
If your baby tears up disposable bedding, plays with it, or drags it around the room, don’t swear. This is normal and natural for the baby. Offer him other toys, glue the bedding to the floor with masking tape for a while, so they will not rustle and provoke the dog.
If the puppy refuses to poop in the diaper, watch the dog more closely, catch and take it to the designated place on time, and when it does, be sure to praise it.

We advise you to read: Can puppies have milk?

Tips and ways to study at 4 months

By four months, the grown puppy is already beginning to slowly control the process of urination and defecation. At this point, there is no longer any need to cover everything around with diapers. One or two in a suitable place or in a tray is enough.

There is still no need to scold the dog for mistakes. The tactics should be like this:

I went to the diaper - we actively praise him , stroke him, and maybe reward him with a treat.
Past the toilet - ignore it . There is no need to shout, express emotions violently, or punish. The dog will understand that it is being scolded, but the cause-and-effect relationship is not clear to it.

From four months on, it’s time for you to decide whether you will walk the dog outside or not. If, for example, you are trying to accustom a Spitz puppy to a diaper or litter box, then you may not insist on defecation and urination outside the apartment . If we talk about larger breeds, then at this age you can no longer just take them for walks in your arms, but fully introduce them to the toilet on the street.

Most Popular Brands

The market for diapers for organizing a dog toilet is extensive; you can easily choose a product that meets all the requirements for use, quality and price. Here are the most popular brands that have earned the best reviews among customers.

Name	Production	View	Characteristics
Clean tail	China	Disposable	Three-layer, reliably retain liquid and odor, the surface remains dry, made of environmentally friendly materials.
Osso Fashion	Russia	Reusable	They dry quickly, retain odor, are strong, and can be washed with a rinse.
Dobrozveriki	Russia	Disposable	A variety of sizes, decent absorbency, do not leak, odorless.
8in1	USA	Disposable	They absorb large amounts of liquid, neutralize odors, are durable, and are scented with the scent of grass.
Napkins	Russia	Disposable	The diapers are hypoallergenic, have a comfortable soft top layer, a variety of sizes, and have a gel filling option.

How often should you change a diaper and what else can be used as a toilet?

Disposable diapers are designed to be thrown away immediately, rather than having to deal with unnecessary washing and cleaning. However, for the first 4 months of a dog’s life, it is better to leave it alone, dirty, with urine. This will help accustom the puppy, the smell at this time is not so strong for the human sense of smell and you can be patient a little. Feces should be removed immediately, including to avoid coprophagia (feces eating), which is common in dogs.

With reusable diapers, everything is the same, but with the difference that they need to be washed with hypoallergenic or baby powders. You need to have at least four sheets so that they have time to dry.

Another option is a dog litter box . It is similar to a cat's, but is often larger in size and has a column in the middle. Filler can be used as desired. There are even models with imitation lawn grass. For a puppy, it is better to choose the simplest plastic version and put a diaper there for the first time. The most convenient option is in an apartment if the dog is small and you do not always plan to walk outside.

Diapers for dogs

They are divided into two main varieties.

Disposable

They are simpler and not designed for long-term use.

Reusable

They cost more, but it pays off over time, because one such diaper can last for several hundred machine washes. Accustoming them to them is easier, because the puppy will recognize his diaper, while a disposable diaper is new every time.

The materials used for them are different: the simplest ones are made of flannel, there are also more advanced options like easy-to-clean foam synthetics.

Possible problems and their solutions

Despite the fact that in theory everything seems simple, in practice the owner may encounter a number of problems. But there are solutions for everything:

The puppy goes to the diaper every other time.

Perhaps he is still too small and simply does not have time to run, so he pees past the diaper. This is due to the fact that they cannot restrain themselves for up to four months. This is equivalent to trying to teach a six-month-old child to ask for a potty without fail. In later life, the problem may be due to the fact that the diaper is dirty, has an unusual smell, or is distracting.

The puppy stopped wearing a diaper.

The reasons are the same as for periodic errors. You shouldn’t get angry at the puppy and think that he is doing this out of spite. Dogs have no such concept as “specifically, to take revenge.” For them, defecation and urination are completely normal physiological processes that do not cause disgust. Remember, a dog can happily eat his own or someone else’s poop and not wince. People are disgusted by this.

What you perceive as a feeling of guilt is flattened ears, a closed posture, eyes on the floor, not an admission of guilt, but fear. Training can be stalled if you punish the puppy for not going to the diaper. What to do in such a situation? You need to exhale deeply, drink a mug of chamomile tea, collect your thoughts and realize that the puppy did not do it on purpose. Make a rollback in your actions and start teaching from the very beginning: wearing a diaper, praising for successes and ignoring mistakes.

If the puppy poops past the diaper, then you should use an antigasin. You must also remember that soon the dog will grow up, and nature dictates that it does not shit in its den, which your home has become for it.

The puppy chews on the toilet diaper.

This is a very common problem for owners. Babies explore the world with the help of their mouths, bite and gnaw on everything, this is especially acute during the change of teeth. First of all, provide the puppy with other objects that can be tasted: balls, ropes, squeakers. Don't forget to spend enough time playing with your baby and just communicating.

There is enough attention and toys, but the puppy still eats diapers. What to do in such a situation is not always clear. And you can’t do without a diaper, and there is a risk that the pet will swallow a piece, which can cause intestinal obstruction or vomiting. In this case, it is worth replacing disposable diapers with reusable ones and using a special anti-gnaw spray.

Reviews about the application

Only recently have reusable dog diapers become available on the market. Many dog breeders leave reviews about them. Most people respond positively to them, noting the absence of unpleasant odor and moisture, ease of use and ease of care for the diaper. Many owners of small dogs who go to the toilet at home are delighted with this accessory. After all, it is enough to buy two diapers. They are easy to wash even in a machine (although you should not use chlorine-containing detergents) and dry quickly.

Dogs also like these diapers, because they don’t get their paws wet and there’s no unpleasant smell, and most animals are clean. And they look more aesthetically pleasing than disposable diapers. There is a large selection of colors and sizes on sale; you can choose any one depending on the interior of the house and the breed of the dog. But some owners note that they did not like the reusable dog diaper. The price is high - from 600 rubles for the smallest, but the product does not always meet all the requirements. Sometimes you have to wash such diapers every day, and they don’t help with the smell. But most likely it depends on the manufacturer. You just need to choose high-quality diapers from well-known companies.

Ways to accustom a puppy to the street after a diaper

The next stage of the puppy’s entry into adulthood is walking and relieving itself outdoors. It is worth trying to train after 6 months. Some dogs quickly understand what's what on their own, and no special effort is required from the owner.

Otherwise, there is an algorithm of actions on how to wean a puppy from a diaper:

It is better to take the first walks after feeding or sleeping. If you go for a walk after eating, avoid active games, otherwise there is a risk of gastric volvulus, especially in large breeds.
When going for a walk, take with you a diaper and toilet training spray, if you have used it before. The puppy does not yet understand the soil, grass or snow, so he may refuse to use the toilet, because a familiar, familiar, comfortable diaper awaits him at home.
Over time, the diaper can be cut into small pieces and then removed altogether. But you can leave the spray on for now.
Gradually remove the diaper at home when you see that the dog can tolerate it before going for a walk.
Be careful, if the dog resists and stubbornly refuses to pee and poop outside, then increase the interval between training points or return to the previous stage.
If you do everything according to the instructions, but the dog still continues to shit at home, and it is older than 7-8 months, then there is a reason to contact a specialist - an animal psychologist and a veterinarian. The reasons for this behavior may be obsessive-compulsive disorder, diseases of the urinary and digestive systems.

On average, it takes from one to four weeks to wean off the diaper and toilet at home and get used to the street.