Potty training a dog requires loads of consistency, patience, and commitment. But, are Cavapoos easy to potty train?
The answer to this question isn’t a straightforward one.
For the most part, every Cavapoo pup is a unique individual. A tough personality may make your work a teeny-weeny bit difficult for you.
What’s more, the environment you train him in as well as the training methods you use may make your task more complicated than it should be.
But, hey, it’s not all doom and gloom! Generally, Cavapoo dogs are highly intelligent. That should count for something! After all, they hail from the Poodle too! As a result, they’re eager to please and thrive on your praise and affection.
Is It Even Necessary To Potty Train Your Cavapoo?
Absolutely!
Imagine the scenario where you’re driving your Cavapoo to the vet and the next thing you smell is the offensive scent of piss and poop.
Or, imagine the embarrassment of having your pup soil himself in a public establishment like the mall.
Make no doubt about it; a housebroken dog is an invaluable asset for every pet owner. Think about it for a while.
You can visit your pals and family at their homes with him without fearing any embarrassment. You wouldn’t have to clean up after him in public establishments. Indoors, you can enjoy some personal time with him without the stress of having to clean up pee or poop. And the list goes on and on!
At What Age Should Your Cavapoo Start Potty Training?
Potty training – like all other types of training – requires a little bit of time and effort. And the earlier the pup gets used to it, the greater his chances of forming the habit.
You should begin potty training your Cavapoo as soon as he touches base with your home. There really is no time to waste.
Many people start to potty train their Cavapoo in some form a few weeks after birth. Or as soon as they bring their Cavapoo home.
Usually, when pups are born, their mamas regularly lick them to encourage the elimination of waste. What’s more, mother dogs will typically eat the poop of their pups to keep the ‘den’ clean.
The puppies catch on fast. And in most cases, they’ll exit the ‘den’ to ease themselves. Still, as you’re probably aware by now, pups have to undergo radical potty training. Especially if it’s going to be their first time living with you in your space.
As a rule of thumb, potty training should start when your Cavapoo is around 7 to 8 weeks old. It is around this time that pups are fully weaned and can live away from mama.
Are Cavapoos Easy To Potty Train? What You Should Know
Are Cavapoos easy to train? Well, we think the process of potty training your Cavapoo should be a fairly easy task.
Still, it’ll require lots of dedication on your part. You’ll have to constantly monitor your dog, pick up signs that they’re ready to pee/poop, and resort to the constant use of positive reinforcement.
Limit Your Dog’s Freedom
For the purpose of potty training, you should create a reasonably spacious enclosure that will restrict the movement of your Cavapoo for the training duration.
Ideally, this area should be located outside – a designated place you’d like your dog to visit when he needs to ease himself.
Inside this fenced enclosure, you should provide potty paper. Usually, the dog will instinctively pee or poop on the potty paper.
Anytime your pup shows signs of distress, quickly take him to his zone outside and wait till he does the deed.
The advantage of restricting him to one particular area is that it reduces the chances of him eliminating where you wouldn’t want him to.
Keep The Potty Paper Moist
When setting up the potty area, you want to smear some of your dog’s pee on the potty paper.
Thereafter, lead your Cavapoo to the paper and let him smell it.
That way, he gets the sense that it is completely acceptable to ease himself within that area.
Establish No More Than One Potty Area
You don’t want to confuse your Cavapoo. Even if it’s taking too long for him to appreciate his designated potty area, don’t try to create multiple potty zones for him.
Stick with just one. It might take some time for him to get used to it. But, you can trust that he will!
You Need To Exercise Lots Of Patience
If you’re training a younger pup, he’ll need a lot of time before he gets it right.
About 7 minutes after eating, take your pup out to the designated potty area and wait for about 10 minutes.
If nothing happens, take him inside for a few minutes and send him back outside again. This time, you should wait for about 15 to 20 minutes.
In any other case, you should take your pup to the potty area after every 45 to 60 minutes.
Use Positive Reinforcement
When he eases himself within the potty area, make sure to show your excitement. The tone of your voice and the words you use should let him know he’s done something good.
You may reward him with a treat or give him a good cuddle. Cavapoos are people-pleasers. And they never get tired of receiving attention from their owners.
So, if they’re getting it as a reward for doing something positive like using the potty, then they’re going to keep doing that very act.
Remember never to reward/encourage your dog until he uses the potty. What’s more, it makes sense to use specific phrases like “go pee” or “go poop” with their acts of elimination.
That way, they can associate these words with using the potty.
Accidents Are Bound To Occur
Know that it’s a learning process. So, you shouldn’t expect your Cavapoo to get it all at once.
During the process, he may pee or poop in an area he shouldn’t.
Don’t get angry and don’t shout at him. You may voice out your displeasure in the form of “Not here,” or “Naughty dog.” Almost immediately, you should send him straight outside to the potty area.
Just calm yourself down and know it won’t take a day or a week for him to get it right.
Is It Advisable To Use Potty Pads When Potty Training?
You can potty train your dog without potty pads, of course.
But, they make your work so much easier. Designed with sponge-like layers, they’re thoroughly absorbent and can be used and placed anywhere.
If you live in an apartment, then potty pads will be perfect for training your Cavapoo. Dogs usually prefer to ease themselves on porous surfaces. So, it’s likely your Cavapoo will readily take to potty pads.
The one downside of using pee pads indoors is that you may still have to deal with the offensive smells that come with your dog’s excreta.
For those living in apartments, you may not have much of an option. Thankfully, though, there are potty pads out there that can mask the odor from pee and poop.
If you can afford to potty train your dog outside, then it might not be advisable to use the potty pad indoors. Rather, you might want to use it within the designated potty area outside.
Signs Your Cavapoo Might Need To Use The Loo
When potty training your Cavapoo, you’ll need to closely monitor his behavior.
Cavapoos are creatures of habits and quite intelligent.
So, for instance. immediately before they sleep or right after they wake, you can send them out to the potty area. They’ll quickly get the drift.
Still, other signs may be instructive;
- He might go round in circles as if searching for something. In other cases, he might continuously sniff the ground
- He might whine or howl to grab your attention
- He might constantly pace back and forth
- He might scratch on the door or any surface to show he wants to ease himself
Are Cavapoos Difficult To Potty Train?
Well, it shouldn’t be difficult to train your Cavapoo.
It may take a great deal of work. But, it’s definitely worth it in the end.
The secret to potty training? Consistency and routine! You may have to remain patient for a while as you guide and train your pup to break some bad habits and form new desirable ones.
It may seem difficult at first. However, the process gets easier with time. Cavapoos are very bright and pick up habits quickly.
How Long Will It Take To Train My Cavapoo?
You’re not alone if you eagerly want to know how long it will take before your pup can finally use the potty area without your guide.
There really is no definite answer to this. The process of training a Cavapoo can span from a few weeks to months, depending on the trainer and the methods he uses.
All Cavapoos come with unique personalities. Some may take a rather short time to pick up good potty habits. Others may take a longer time.
Aside from the dog’s personality, his trainer, and the type of training methods, the dog’s immediate environment may also play a role in how long potty training takes.
One thing is for sure, though. Cavapoos are smart and badly want to please their owners. Take advantage of that when potty training your pup!
Note, however, that regardless of how long it takes, the result is what matters.
Final Thoughts
So, are Cavapoos easy to potty train? Well, it depends on a whole variety of factors as we’ve indicated throughout this article.
The Cavapoo’s intelligence should play in your favor.
Aside from that, you should be patient and consistent because that’s the only way to get a dog potty-trained.
Furthermore, use positive reinforcements constantly. We think you’re going to come good at the end of it all.
If others have been able to potty train their Cavapoos, you sure can too!