SUPPLIES
Overview
Puppies don't have an instinct to do their business outside. You have to take the time to train them. This needs to be done as soon as the puppy turns eight weeks old and can be weaned away from its mother. Once the puppy has the potty training down, it will go outside for the rest of his or her life.
Step 1
Block out seven days that you can devote to training your puppy to go outside. It is important that someone be with the puppy all day long to take the puppy outside anytime it looks like it needs to go.
Step 2
Start off by taking your puppy outside the second that you wake up in the morning. Your puppy needs to learn that it will get a chance to go to the bathroom first thing in the morning. When you take your puppy outside in the morning, make sure you stay out there until the puppy relieves him or herself. This may take thirty minutes at first, but your puppy will quickly learn why it is outside and will go quicker in the future.
Step 3
Make sure you have treats handy to feed your puppy as soon as they go potty outside. Pet your puppy and say kind things to it so that it associates praise and treats with doing its business outside.
Step 4
Feed your dog three meals per day at the same time each day. Once the meals are done, you need to take your puppy outside until it goes to the bathroom. Puppies will often need to go after a meal. You also want to do this if your puppy has taken a nice nap.
Step 5
Remove your puppy's water dish after 7:00 p.m. You don't give your children water before bed so they don't have an accident. The same goes for your puppy. This will help the puppy be able to survive the night without feeling like they have to go.
Step 6
Stay on your schedule all week long. By the end of the week, the puppy will know to go outside at the designated times. The puppy will also be able to hold their urine throughout the night and go outside when you get up in the morning.
TIPS AND WARNINGS
- TIP : Some puppies get overly excited to see a person and have an accident. This is not something they can help and doesn't have anything to do with potty training.
You may prefer to crate train (see resources) in conjunction with the techniques discussed in this article.
- WARNING : Never yell at your puppy or hit your puppy if it has an accident. The puppy will not learn this way and you may even damage your puppy emotionally by doing this.
Resources
