When Do I Start Potty Training a Dog?

The best behaved dogs are trained from an early age, and this is true for potty training a dog as well. There are ways to begin potty training when puppies are still very young.

The First Weeks

A mother dog takes care of small puppies and cleans them. Wait through this stage to potty train. Most dog owners get their dog at eight weeks, so begin potty training then.

Potty Area

As soon a puppy can go outside, take him out to a special potty area after eating, playing, waking up, when he sniffs around or whenever you think he needs to go. You can use pee pads indoors when he's very young.

Frequent Opportunities

Your puppy will go often, so take her outside at least once an hour. This way, she'll learn good habits from the start so potty training will be easier on you.

Praise

Always tell the dog to "Go potty," and then praise her when she goes. If she doesn't go, place her back in her kennel or bed for 20 minutes and try again.

Fun Training

The easy way to train a dog is to trick it into behaving the way you want. Yelling at a dog or punishing it won't train it to go outside. Keep it simple when they are young.

References

• Puppy Potty Training
• Pet tips: How to potty train a dog
• Puppy Potty Training: Housebreaking Advice