How to Potty Train A Puppy

How to Potty Train A Puppy teaches puppy potty training to dog owners who want to know how to house train a puppy to take bathroom breaks outside.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Leash
• Scoop or shovel
• Waste or pick up bags
• Urine removers and cleaners
• Housetraining schedule
• Patience

1. Take your puppy outside within 20 minutes after each meal, after play sessions, and after rest sessions.
   
   Initially, count on taking your puppy out every two to three hours.
   
   If your puppy is between the ages of 2 to 4 months, it will need about 8 to 10 bathroom breaks a day.
   
   If your puppy is between the ages of 4 to 6 months, it will need about 6 to 8 bathroom breaks a day.
   
   (The resource section at the end of this article has a free report for dog owners "Puppy and Dog Housebreaking and Housetraining Tips" with additional information about how many bathroom breaks a day to expect based on your puppy's age plus many more helpful tips and advice including a section on crate training.)

2. Take your puppy outside to a designated toilet break area in your yard.
   
   This should be an area that is easy for you to access and clean up.

3. At your puppy's designated toilet break area give your puppy a command such as "go potty" or "go pee"

4. Stay consistent and predictable with your feeding and potty times -
   even on weekends - so your puppy can adjust to your housetraining schedule.

5. Keep a "puppy housebreaking record" of every time you take your puppy outside so you can keep to a regular schedule.

6. Look for signs that your puppy wants to have a toilet break.
   
   Your puppy may give you “signals” that it has to “go” such as...
   
   a. sniffing the ground or floor or walls or furniture
   b. quickly looking at you
   c. circling a particular area
   d. returning to a particular area that it has soiled before
   e. crouching or arching its back
   f. lining its body up alongside a wall or furniture
   g. scratching the floor
   h. barking or jumping up and down

7. Praise and reward your puppy for taking its potty break outside.

8. Remember to take your puppy outside during the night or very early in the morning for a while since it won't be able to hold its urine all night.

Tips & Warnings

• It will usually take your puppy about 4 to 6 weeks to get the hang of things if you stick to a regular puppy potty training schedule.
• Do not pet or play with your puppy during its bathroom break - you don’t want it to associate play time with the bathroom break area.
• Don’t leave your puppy outside on its own. You need to be with your puppy to give it praise and to give it a reward so it knows that it has to "go" outside.
• Don’t scold your puppy for eliminating inside your home. Even when there is an "accident" keep the situation low-key and calm without any drama - otherwise you could make your puppy fearful and make the problem worse.
• Keep a watchful eye on signs your puppy needs a bathroom break.
• It’s wise to have a good supply of urine removers and cleaners on hand for accidents which are likely to happen until your puppy is properly house trained.
• The information contained in How To Potty Train A Puppy is intended for informational and educational purposes only. The author is not liable for any use or contrary interpretation of the material in How To Potty Train A Puppy.

Resources

• FREE Report: Puppy and Dog Housebreaking and Housetraining Tips
• Dog Obedience Training

[Ladybugblue]

on 10/16/2008 Good article & good information!