Puppy Potty Training Made Simple

Puppyhood is the “formative” period for your dog. What you teach him during this time will most likely stick with him the rest of his life. One of the most important things you will be teaching him is where to potty.

We need to realize that puppies are like children in that they are needy for attention and require a routine. The best thing you can do to ease the potty-training process for your pup is to make sure that you establish the “sleep-eat-potty” routine.

There of course will be times when accidents happen-which is completely normal. There will be times when we don’t always hear our pup’s whimper in our sleep or are unable to let him outside at the exact moment when he needs to go. It could really help out to have a newspaper pallet on the floor. If your pup begins to potty inside, run him over to the newspaper. This is a good alternative option to use until your pup develops better bladder control.

The sooner you get to know your puppy’s “eat/potty” routine, the easier potty-training will become. A good rule to go by is to estimate that your pup will be ready for a trip outside around 15 - 20 minutes after he has been fed/watered. If you can, try to have your puppy outside at this time so he will familiarize himself with the proper “potty surroundings.”

It’s a good idea to separate play time from potty time very early on. If you’ve taken him out to potty and he goes, take him straight back indoors, wait a bit, and then take him out to play. Allowing him to potty and play in the same time period can send mixed signals as to what he’s supposed to do. You wouldn’t want him waking you up for play time in the wee hours of the morning!

Now would be a great time to teach your puppy the praise and discipline phrases you intend to use throughout training. Many people use terms such as “good boy/girl” and “no.” Just remember that while puppies require a firm hand and patience, this is also a time to enjoy your puppy while he’s young and full of energy!

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