Dog Training Tips - Potty Training

Potty training your dog is no doubt the first and most important thing to teach your puppy from the day it arrives at its new home. It is time consuming and can be frustrating for the first few days but with a lot of patience and know how potty training your dog can be established very quickly.
I found that with my dog the use of newspapers strategically placed near the back door was a big mistake. She simply believed that it was just another of her new toys and would shred it into tiny pieces as soon as my back was turned! I quickly realised that the only way to do it was to be patient and extremely observant.

A couple of things to remember is that dogs do get into a routine when it comes to going to the toilet.
Puppies usually go not long after a meal, after waking up from sleep and also after playing or exercising in the house. In order to train your dog it is important to remember these points and take them outside regularly. When your dog wakes up encourage it to follow you outside to do its business. Use a word that it will come to associate with this action such as 'quickly' or 'do toilet' and repeat it regularly whilst you wait for your puppy to perform this action. Once he has been, praise him lavishly and tell him what a good dog he is. Lots of encouragement is needed at first before it becomes second nature. Do the same after he has eaten and pretty soon he will automatically go outside on his own after each meal. When puppies are not sleeping they invariably want to play. This is great fun and creates a special bond for all the family and gives him some gentle exercise in the home. However, due to excitement your puppy will without any warning decide he needs to do his business. It is important then to encourage him to go outside after each play session or as soon as you see he has the urge to go! With a lot of patience and watching your puppy's body language you will find that potty training your dog can be achieved in just a matter of days. Puppies learn very quickly and respond positively to dog training if rewarded with lots of hugs and praise. Please remember that your puppy does need to go regularly and ensure that if you need to leave him alone for any length of time you make provision for someone to come to your home and let him out to avoid accidents.

I hope this advice is useful to you. Further information about all dog training can be found in this excellent book