Potty Training Your Frenchie
Potty training your French Bulldog requires patience and committment. These proven techniques are sure to give you the long term results you're looking for when training your Frenchie. Through this process keep in mind that you are in training with your french bulldog. Housebreaking your Frenchie will require patience on your part. Frenchie puppies, like babies, have very limited control of when and where they go and it's important that you are very understanding of this. It is likely that your Frenchie will have accidents during the training process so be patient. Full control over their bowel and bladder movements won't be developed until about 6 months of age. Although Frenchies shouldn’t be expected to be house trained before four months, the process needs to be initiated once you get it home. Most French Bulldogs will get the house breaking routine down within a couple of weeks.
At 3 months of age your French Bulldog will need to go out about 6 times daily. At 6 months the requirement will be 4 times daily. From 12 months and your Frenchie will need to go out about 3 times a day.
Potty Training Your French Bulldog Puppy
The French Bulldog breed is small and they can't hold their bladder for longer than two hours and shouldn't be expected to, even in a crate. Many owners have come home hours later to find their Frenchie in his own discharge because they thought he wouldn't soil his bed. True, by nature French Bulldogs do not like to soil their den. By establishing their den territory they will try to avoid eliminating whenever they are in their actual crate. Whenever you are not home your French Bulldog should be left in his little territory so he doesn't soil the house.
First, choose an enclosed area in the house for your Frenchie where the floor is easy to clean, a tiled or linoleum floor works best. Cover the surface with a vinyl shower curtain and then with newspaper or puppy house training pads. Confine your Frenchie to this papered area as they like to go in the same spot. When the Frenchie soils the pads, replace them. After a week slowly take away the newspaper or pads from areas which he doesn't soil until only as much covering remains as is needed for your Frenchie to eliminate on. After a few weeks of your Frenchie going in that spot it will become habitual. If your Frenchie goes on the bare floor in front of you, gently correct him, and put him on the paper and praise him. Do not rub their face in their accidents; it is usually the owners fault and not theirs. If you catch your Frenchie squatting, a firm "no" will suffice. Whenever you see your Frenchie eliminating on the paper, praise him for his good action.
After you believe that your French Bulldog is used to going in the same spot you can open up a bigger portion of the house for your Frenchie to play in. Then, as your Frenchie learns to hold it longer, take him outside three or four times a day to conclude his housetraining. Take your Frenchie to the same spot in the yard and use cue words such as, "go pee." Do this every two hours. Do not carry your Frenchie to their spot; lead your Frenchie on a leash to the same spot every time. When you tell your Frenchie to, "Go Pee" or "Potty" in an upbeat tone, while they are in the process of relieving themselves, they will associate this command to going at that time. Always reward your Frenchie's good behavior with a treat and/or by petting them. After about a week your French Bulldog should begin associating your trigger command with eliminating.
Check your Frenchie's stool regularly to make sure they are firm and parasite free. You can see tapeworms and roundworms in the stool but there are many parasites not evident to the naked eye. Regular stool exams by your veterinarian will help keep the microscopic parasites at bay. If your French Bulldog puppy's stools are hard and crumbly, you might add some bacon grease to their diet. If the stool of your frenchie is loose, make sure you aren't giving your Frenchie any milk. You can administer about a teaspoon of Kaopectate according to their weight.
French Bulldog Accidents
French Bulldogs are not able to relate punishment for their actions after they have performed the act, so don’t say anything. If your frenchie has an accident on the carpet, clean up the mess and spray the area with a pet deodorizer and wipe it down with a mixture of 1/4th white vinegar and 3/4 water to cover up the odor. If your French Bulldog happens to have an accident inside, place the feces outside in the yard (the odor should attract him to that spot next time) where you want him to go.
French Bulldog Scheduling
Set up a schedule for your French Bulldog and stick with it daily. Feed your Frenchie the same amount of food at the same time and monitor your Frenchie's activity taking note of when they need to go and let them out during that time. If you stick to the same schedule then your French Bulldog will relieve themselves at the same time. Consistency is your best friend while potty training your new French Bulldog puppy.
French Bulldog Feeding Amounts
How much your French Bulldog puppy needs to empty his bowels will depend upon the quantity and quality of food their feed. If you give your Frenchie unlimited access to food and water they will eat and drink all day long and need to poop and pee more often. Do not limit intake on Frenchies under 1 year. Limit their intake on older french bulldogs. Obesity will dramatically take years off your Frenchie's life. French Bulldog puppies under 3-4 months of age should be fed 3 times a day and French Bulldogs older than that only need to be fed twice a day. French Bulldog puppies 6-14 weeks old should be given unlimited access to water. Feedings don't have to be proportional; you can feed your French Bulldog a smaller portion when you don't have time to let them out and a larger portion when you have more time.
French Bulldog Signaling
Stop at the door and either wait until your French Bulldog sits or gently push down on his hindquarters before taking your Frenchie outside to go potty. After a while your French Bulldog will be conditioned to go to the door and sit as his signal for you to let him out.
When to Let Your French bulldog Out
When active, French Bulldogs have a greater tendency to go after they eat, and when they wake up. French Bulldog puppies have less control over when they go and need to be taken out more frequently. Control over their bowel and bladder movements won't be fully developed until your French Bulldog is about 6 months of age; taking your Frenchie out every hour is not uncommon. Adult French Bulldogs on average only need to be taken out 3-4 times daily. It is advised to take your Frenchie out to go when they wake up, about 15 minutes after each meal for Frenchie puppies and about an hour after meals for an adult French Bulldog and before they go to sleep.
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