House Training Your Maltipoo
Maltipoo Training by Age
Training can begin when you first bring your Maltipoo puppy home, usually between the ages of 8 and 12 weeks old. It usually takes 3 to 6 months for a puppy to be completely house trained.
You should have reasonable expectations, take your Maltipoo outside frequently and reward them for their successes. It is important to know the limits of your puppy. A 2 month old puppy can only hold their urine for 2 hours and a 3 month old puppy can only hold their urine for 3 hours maximum.
A 4 month old has a limit of 4 hours…and so on…until your Maltipoo is about 8 to 9 months old and can hold on for 8 hours. No dog should be expected to hold on to their urine for more than those 8 hours.
Puppies tend to have bowel movements approximately 20 minutes after a meal which is something to keep in mind.
These times should be kept in mind when leaving your dog alone.
Taking Your Maltipoo Outside
It is suggested that you take your dog outside:
Immediately after any confinement (being in their playpen, being in a gated area, etc.)
When he/she first wakes up (Morning bathroom time must be as SOON as your puppy wakes.
20 minutes or so before bedtime
15-20 minutes after your Maltipoo eats.
Every 2 hours for a 2 month old, every 3 hours for a 3 month old, etc.
Any time your puppy makes a motion to go. Some pups will circle around, act skittish or bark. Once you have your puppy for a few weeks, you'll learn to read his/her cues.
House Training Details
Choose one specific spot for your Maltipoo to use as the bathroom area. It should be close to the house but not an area that is used for any other purpose. Think about how accessible the area will be during different times of the year, especially if you live in an area that gets a lot of snow in the winter.
With your puppy on a leash, stand in the center of the bathroom area, allowing your puppy to sniff around and decide on the perfect spot. Dogs like to pick their spot to go to the bathroom, but by using the leash, this will allow your pet to choose a spot within the bathroom area. It will also let your puppy know that it is not time to run and play.
Each time you bring him out, take note of the time and allow him at least 10 minutes to go to the bathroom. Many puppies have weak bladders and don’t take very long, however some spend their first 10 minutes sniffing and exploring and then will pee once they relax. Dress appropriately for the weather, bring along your phone and remember that while you may need to get back inside and tend to your dinner, children etc., your puppy does need time to learn the rules.
Any time that you are home with your puppy, do not allow him to run loose in the home. You must be close by in order to properly house train him. You can use a leash by looping one end of it to your belt or keep him in his gated area if you cannot keep a close eye on him. Young puppies can release their bladder in the blink of an eye.
Always give some type of reward any time your Maltipoo pees or poos in the correct area. This should be praise, pats and/or reward them with healthy and soft puppy treats that would be really helpful in the training.
Never scold a puppy for housebreaking accidents. Despite how it may appear, puppies do not pee or poo on purpose. Going potty is a basic bodily function. Any punishment given to the puppy for accidents will just confuse them and make them think it is not ok to go potty. Some puppies will even try and “clean it up” (eat their poo) before you can see it and punish them, and we don’t want that to happen.
After your new puppy is well adjusted to their new living environment, you can introduce a new method of telling you when they need to go outside to go to the bathroom. Or you can show your Maltipoo how to use a doggy door to get out whenever he/she needs to. If you are like me and have a glass door that doesn’t allow a doggy door to be installed, you can use bells that hang on the door so your puppy can ring them anytime he/she wants out.
Potty Training Supplies
2 Pack Dog Doorbells
Anytime I took my Maltipoo out to go to the bathroom, I would first show her how to ring the bells and then immediately open the door for her. I did this every time I took her out for two days. On the third day of training her to use the bells, I would walk her to the door and she would ring them without any help from me. After about a week of using the bells, my Maltipoo puppy didn’t have any accidents in the house. She will now ring the bells and sit and wait for the door to open.
To see our little maltipoo take advantage of these bells, visit our instagram.
Potty Training Infographic
We’ve embedded a nice little graphic below to help you grasp some key ideas for house training. If you still considering getting a Maltipoo puppy, you can visit our Maltipoo Puppies for Sale page to learn more about what we have to offer and join our waitlist. We also include house training basics in our optional professional obedience training program.
