Puppy Potty-Training Tips

While your lovely new puppy may have an abundance of licks and cuddles, what it doesn't have the built-in knowledge to tell you when it needs to go potty. Potty-training can be one of the most challenging tasks a pet owner can face, and without positive training techniques and patience, it can be a very daunting experience! In this article, we're going to discuss a few tips that can help significantly ease the stress of training your pup.

Before you begin training your puppy, you must realize that it is a learned process for him, and he is, after all, only young. Potty training a dog takes a lot of patience, and you can usually expect accidents to occur for a good 1 - 2 months whilst training. When your puppy has an accident, you have to be willing to take some of the blame onto yourself ("I should have been watching him better.") and pay more attention to his body language. Puppies generally show signs that they need to potty, such as whimpering, restlessness, or the ever-famous "enthusiastic sniffing & circling" of the floor (not to be confused with his sniffing the furniture or walls, which is just his way of getting to know your home).

The first thing you must realize is that 15 -or 20 minutes after a puppy eats or drinks, he will usually be ready to potty. The key is to have him in the right place when the time comes. Taking your pup outside about ten minutes after he eats for a ten minute romp around the garden not only saves you from having a mess to clean up indoors, he will also become familiar with the routine and recognize the proper environment for "potty time".

The next tip is to try to schedule your dog's meal and potty schedule around your availability to take him outside. Try to think of times in the day when you can spare about 30 minutes - that's roughly the amount of time you should commit per feeding/potty session. As mentioned before, it's very important that you establish a routine with your dog, and you're more likely to keep up the routine if it works to your convenience.

When you're home with your dog, try to keep him with you as much as possible. Not only does this make it easier for you to learn and recognize his signs of needing to potty, but it also helps to establish a bond between you and your puppy.

Praise your pup when he does his business outside. Pick a word or phrase you want him to recognize as praise. Typically it tends to be something like "Good boy/girl". Now is also a good time to begin teaching your pup the word "no". Repeating it clearly and firmly when your puppy has an accident will familiarize him with the phrase and he will eventually realize that this word crops up when he does something naughty.

Lastly, try to make the process as simple as possible. While it's great fun to romp around the yard with your pup, you'll want the focus of potty trips outside to be solely for that purpose. Later on you may want to combine walks and play-time with potty breaks, but for the sake of keeping your puppy as least confused as possible, try to separate the activities until he has become housebroken. Also, try making a pallet of newspaper in an area of the house your puppy can find easily but won't offend family/guests. If you catch your pup in the act but can't make it outside to correct him, move him to the newspaper quickly to show him that until he gains better control, there is one place in the house acceptable to potty. Some have reported that leaving a small bit of pup urine on the newspaper will encourage him to go there.

Keep in mind that this process can be stressful on the pup as well as yourself, but don't forget to have fun and work on creating a solid bond with your new family member!

Article Provided Courtesy of: Quality Pet Steps from Help Your Pets, www.helpyourpets.com