By Sarah Groves Dog Training - your puppy trainer covering Neath, Port Talbot and Swansea
So you've started taking your puppy for walks, or maybe you've already been going for walks for a few weeks now, but no matter how long you're out for, puppy will wait to come home to go to the toilet!
Sound familiar?
This is a concern which most puppy owners speak to me about, and can be very frustrating!
But to put your mind at ease - it's very normal for young puppies to not want to go to the toilet on a walk.
Why is this happening?
This usually happens because your puppy is still finding their feet in the world, may not 100% be confident with the outside beyond your garden or may just simply be getting 'information overload' from all of the new sights, smells and sounds the outdoors has to offer!
What can I do about it?
Puppies will normally start to go to the toilet on a walk at around about 4 to 5 months of age. So until then, keep rewarding your pup for going to the toilet in the garden.
Take some tasty treats out on a walk with you too, so that once your pup finally has their first toilet on a walk, you can have HUGE celebrations!
I have frequently been on a one to one in the park with a puppy and owner, where the pup has had their first toilet on a walk - I think this happens so much when i'm around because the training encourages focus on something other than the potentially overwhelming environment, teaching the puppy to just relax.
So, to conclude, the behaviour you're seeing is very normal, there's nothing to worry about, and will simply come with time!
In the meantime try to work on some recall and focus games on a walk, along with some basic sit, lie down and watch the world go by!
If you have any puppy concerns which you would like to discuss and live within and around the Neath Port Talbot and Swansea areas, please get in touch!
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