Potty Training Puppies: Your First Training Experience as a Dog Owner

Potty training puppies doesn't have to be a constant and unpleasant experience. A dog's natural instinct is to not soil the area where they eat and sleep.

Your job is to simply show them which areas are acceptable and which are not. This may sound a bit easier than it actually is, but if you understand the concept you're off to a good start.

The first step in potty training puppies is to establish their "place." They need their own place where they can go to eat and sleep. By establishing their place you are showing them the first area that going potty in is not acceptable.

Some owners will use a crate or a box. Others will use a simple dog bed or blanket on the floor. Whatever you use, be sure to pick an area that is well out of the way of normal traffic throughout your home and is free of drafts or excessive heat.

You will quickly learn how soon after eating or drinking your puppy gets the urge to eliminate. Take your puppy to the papers a few minutes before that time expires. Keep him on the paper until he goes. Praise him lavishly when he is through. Clean up the papers but leave a trace of urine on the fresh papers so he can follow his scent to the paper the next time he has to go.

After a few days, or even a few weeks, they will begin to realize that they should go to this same spot each time. Potty training puppies takes time so be patient. Don't get angry if there are accidents along the way, and don't bother scolding him if you come across these accidents after they have occurred. A puppy has no way of knowing what it is they are being scolded for unless you catch them immediately in the act.

Once he gets used to the area you can begin to move the papers closer to the door, over several weeks, until it is time to let him outside to do his thing.

By the time your puppy has been paper trained for 2-3 months you can start your outside puppy potty training. Use the same door each time and take the puppy to the same spot. At first he won't know what's expected of him. So, drawing on the knowledge of your puppy's natural timetable, take him out a few minutes before the time that he is usually ready to go potty. Lavish him with praise when he performs.

By always taking him to the same spot you will teach him that the entire yard is not his bathroom.

Potty training puppies can take 5 or 6 months or more. As a new owner you need to realize that accidents will occur often during this phase of your puppy's life. Please be patient with your new canine companion.