Charming Cavalier puppies have a head start on housetraining. Charming Cavaliers believe that housetraining needs to start with the breeder at a very early age to establish a strong foundation and healthy habits. By nature puppies do not want to eliminate where they eat and sleep. We enable them to form healthy correct habits from the start. The first few weeks of life when they are only nursing from their mother she will take care of all the waste from her young, once the puppies become mobile and start also eating solid food around 4 weeks of age their mother will stop eating the waste and the puppies need to start training. First we add onto the whelping box to allow for three areas. A sleeping area, eating/playing area and a potty area. From an early age the puppies learn there is a proper place for everything, this will make housetraining much easier for their new owners. Our puppies begin training using the “Potty Patch” it’s a specifically designed soft artificial grass. We do not use “pee pads” sold in stores as we feel his confuses the puppy. The soft material of the puppy pee pads are close to the material of their blankets/bedding making them believe it is okay to pee on anything soft, even carpet. The Potty Patch is comparable to real grass and helps puppies become accustom to eliminating on grass. The pan underneath drains away urine and aids in potty training as it keeps the above area dry but, allows the puppies to smell where it is appropriate to eliminate.           

Housetraining is an essential skill for your Cavalier to learn. Being housetrained will make your Cavalier a better companion when he/she is not eliminating all over the house. Remember that training takes time. Every puppy is an individual and will learn at his or her own rate. Be prepared to be patient and consistent with your new puppy. Normally Cavaliers are quite easy to housetrain. They are very intelligent and eager to please their owners. Once they understand the rules they will have very few mistakes given they are given enough opportunities to go out. Remember your Cavalier has a small bladder and will need to go potty often. Normally a puppy will have to go potty as soon as they wake up, after eating or drinking, after playing and before going to sleep.

Use positive training with your Cavalier and lots of praise is very important and will help reinforce your training. Take your puppy to the area you want them to go potty and give a command such as "Go Potty" or any command you feel comfortable using and use only that command each time you take your puppy out. When your puppy goes, give praise as soon as they finish. You may even want to have a treat ready.

If you catch your puppy having an accident inside, interrupt them right away! Clap your hands, yell no, and just get your puppy to stop, take him/her outside to the correct spot to finish. If they finish outside reinforce with praise, treats, ect. Now if you do not catch your Cavalier in the “act” it’s too late. They will not make the connection. Be sure to clean the area well with a cleaner made to remove “pet odor”. You can find these cleaners at your local pet stores or on my useful links page. If you don’t remove the smell, your puppies strong sense of smell could take them right back to the same place to go again. 

Along with positive training and consistency here are a couple things that have helped me in the past when housetraining my dogs;

Install a doggie door. If you have access to a fenced backyard a doggie door will allow your Cavalier the freedom to go out as needed. You can buy models that install in your door, wall, or sliding glass door.

Potty Bells. Many companies online have came up with designs calling them “tinkle bells” or “Pee Pee Bells” You can also make your own by going to the craft store buying some bells and string. Hang the bells on the inside of the door you use to take your dog out. Every time you take your dog out, ring the bells and say a key word such as “Potty time”. Be sure your dog sees that when the bells rings the door opens. With time your dog will make the connection and will start ringing the bells on their own when they want to go out. Training time varies and depends on your dogs’ willingness to learn and your consistency. Most dogs will pick it up quickly and owners enjoy no more mess on the floor. I have had dogs pick it up in a matter of days and some take much longer.

Crate training. Having a nice crate for your Cavalier is a great idea. Not only will it keep them safe when you are not with them but, it’s great for potty training as dogs don’t like to potty where they sleep. I like the metal folding crates with the Plastic Pan in the bottom. (Just in case) These crates allow for great air flow and are easy to clean. I recommend a 36”. It is the perfect size for a bed, water bowl and a small area for a puppy pad and will last into adult hood. (30” could work as well) 

 
Treats. Training treats work very well when potty training. Remember your Cavalier’s stomach is small. I cut treats into small pieces for training and rewarding good behavior. Soft treats are a good idea when training or rewarding. They are eaten quickly and you can move on. Avoid unwanted weight gain by choosing a healthy treat. For my Cavalier puppies I use Wellness Just For Puppy treats. Be sure you have the treat ready in your hand when you are rewarding your puppy for going potty. If you wait until you come inside to treat he will think he is getting a treat for coming inside not going potty.    

Be patient with your Cavalier and keep on top of the training and before long you will have a well mannered housetrained new best friend for many years to come. Above all have fun and enjoy each other, accidents and all.