Potty Training Your Puppy
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So, you've welcomed a new canine family member into your home. Your new puppy knows lots of things. Barking, playing, eating, and sleeping are what he does best. He also knows how to go potty. Unfortunately, he doesn't agree with you on where to do his business. If you've never potty trained a puppy, you
need just a few simple tricks up your sleeve. Here's a plan to get you and your puppy up to speed.
Vets recommend that a puppy not be separated from his mother for the first 8 weeks of his life, for bonding, nursing, weaning and behavioral reasons. However, for your purposes of having an easier time potty training your puppy, 12 weeks is a better age. This gives your puppy's mother more time to introduce and reinforce the adult dog potty ritual. By the time you bring your new puppy home, he'll be more aware of the protocol, although he won't be practicing the ritual himself.
Even if you find it's necessary, for one reason or another, to bring your puppy home at 8 weeks, potty training your puppy shouldn't take too long. It doesn't matter whether your puppy is going to be an inside or outside dog. The time-honored system of using newspaper for training works. Where you place it is key. Although it may be a minor inconvenience for a few weeks, place several sheets of newspaper right by the door leading to the outside of your home. At first, he will do his business wherever he happens to be at the moment. You need to be alert to his doings at all times. Every time a potty mishap occurs, it slows down the potty training process if you don't notice it quickly.
If you catch him in the act, carry him, or put him on a leash and show him the results he's deposited on the floor or carpet. As with most puppy training, using a specific phrase consistently allows him to associate the act with the desired behavior or consequences. A gently spoken, “No, bad dog!” is a good standard phrase. This will then become associated with any bad dog behavior. He will learn that it's unacceptable. Immediately lead him to the newspaper. Here you pet him and sit him down on the training newspaper. Potty training your puppy requires a lot of repetition. If you don't discover the infraction soon after it happens, it's essential potty training your puppy 101 to take him to the scene of the crime and point out the problem. He may already start to look shame-faced, so rubbing his nose in it isn't necessary. The simple “No, bad dog!” and immediate transportation to the newspaper will do the trick. It helps if you put more emphasis on the 'bad' in your tone of voice.
The first time he does his business on the training newspaper on his own is a victorious moment indeed. Have a little treat on hand for this celebration. If you miss the event when it happens, do a replay. Bring him to the newspaper, treat in hand and pet him vigorously with a cheerful sounding “Good dog! Good dog!”, with emphasis on the 'good'. Hey, you're almost done with potty training your puppy!
Now it's time to move the newspaper outside the door. Be sure you have your puppy in attendance when you do this, so he knows where it is. This can prompt a smart puppy to go to the door and whine when he needs to do his business.
Now, shortly after he's eaten, watch carefully for any signs of upcoming potty business. Fifteen minutes after eating, put him on the leash and lead him to the door, saying, “Good dog!”. Chances are that he knows what to do. Make a big deal out of successful events, with lots of praise.
As soon as he knows to go outside, he'll come to expect regular walks after meals. Congratulations, you've successfully completed potty training your puppy!
