Potty Training Your Puppy--Tips to Train Your Puppy

Patience and repetition is key in your potty training efforts with your puppy. It may take hundreds of times to get it in your puppy's head that the only place to go is outside.

Positive reinforcement is the way to go in any dog training scenario. The old idea of rubbing your dog's nose in his mess has gone and passed, as trainers have realized this only confuses the dog and makes things worse.

Dogs live in the moment, and must be caught right in the act of doing something bad, or they won't know what they are being scolded for.

Many trainers advise against using paper or potty mats to train your puppy. Once you train your puppy to use paper, you will have to start all over to get him to go outside.

Follow these steps to potty train your pup:

* Most importantly, keep your puppy on schedule. Feed him at regular times every day, and try to take him outside at regular times throughout the day. Aside from the regular times, also take him out after each meal, after an active play session, and, yes, even in the middle of the night if you hear him stirring around. He'll begin to pick up on these times as long as you keep them regular.

* When you do take him outside, keep him on the leash and create an area where he goes every time. He'll begin to associate this area as the place to go.

* Crate your puppy when you can't watch him at all times. Make sure the whole family is on the same page.

* When you take him out, don't praise him until he does his business. If he won't go, take him back inside and crate him. Then take him out again 15 or 20 minutes later. When he does go, praise him like never before and give him a treat. Remember, dogs love heavy praise!

* If he has an accident inside and you catch him in the act, scold him with a stern "no" and take him outside immediately. If you don't catch him in the act and find it later, don't scold him or rub his nose in it. He will not understand what he did wrong-- dogs live in the present!

* If accidents do happen, make sure to clean thoroughly with a special odor-remover you can find at your pet store. Regular soap and water won't do, since dogs have very keen noses and are likely to "go" in the same spot again.

* Remember, patience and repetition is the key. It can take many, even hundreds of times before he really gets it every time.

* If your pup continues to have accidents beyond your control, consult your veterinarian.

So what do you do if you can't keep a constant eye on your puppy all day long? This can be an issue for anybody who works, has kids, or just doesn't have time to watch a puppy 24/7.

Crate training is a dog training method many professional dog trainers advocate not just for potty training, but for a number of training issues as well.

Dogs are naturally den animals, and need a place where they can feel safe and secure. When you start crate training at a young age, this will set your dog up for adulthood. It usually doesn't take long before dogs become very accustomed to the crate and will begin to go into the crate on their own accord.

While potty training and housebreaking your puppy, you will need a place to confine your dog while you are sleeping, at work, or just can't keep a constant eye on you pup. Puppies will chew furniture, shoes, and will ruin carpets and sofas any chance they get when you are not keeping an eye on them.

Dogs have a natural instinct to not soil their own den, so when your puppy is learning to control his bladder, a crate will help him understand where to go and where not to go.

The crate should never be used as a place of punishment while housebreaking your puppy. If your dog has an accident in the house and you angrily shove him in the crate, he will not make the connection that it has anything to do with going in the wrong place. Instead, he will begin to associate the crate as a bad thing, a punishment, and a horrible place to be.


Each time you let your puppy out of the crate, take him outside. This way, if he's been holding it in, he'll be able to relive himself outside.

If he goes outside right away, praise him enthusiastically and tell what a good dog he is. Slowly your pup will begin to associate going potty outside as a really positive thing.

If he doesn't go, don't say anything to him. Take him back inside and place him the crate for 15-20 minutes. Take him out again until he does his business, and when he does make sure you let him know what a good dog he is.

Make sure your pup has plenty of room to stand up and stretch and turn around in his crate.

Purchase a crate that your puppy will grow into. Dogs grow up fast, and you could end up spending a lot of money buying larger sizes of crates as your dog grow bigger.