Potty training a puppy

United States
April 26, 2009 4:53pm CST
What is the best way to potty train a puppy?
1 person likes this
2 responses
• United States
27 Apr 09
The best way I have found to potty train my dogs is patience. They are bound to have accidents and its best not to let them going potty in your house get to you or get mad at them and punish them. They are still trying to figure out exactly what you're trying to teach them. Consistency patience and love are the best teachers. I started right when I got home with our new puppy. PIck a word that means "Hey lets go outside and go potty." You can say lets go outside or lets go potty. Keep it consist. Don't keep changing what you say or it will just take longer. When they are puppy's positive reinforcement works the best. Reward them when they go to the bathroom where you want them to. But don't set them up for failure if you keep them inside for 3 hours and they have an accident. If you kennel train them which is a good idea they will learn that its not ok to go potty in their "den" and its best to go outside. A few hours before bedtime don't give them any water. If they are really thirsty limit what they drink and then put them outside. It can take a few minutes for them sometimes to go potty but they will eventually get it. And it doesn't take too long honestly. Just patience and keeping to the same words help a lot! GOOD LUCK!!
• United States
26 Apr 09
if it is a puppy it wont take you long to train him, even though in the beggining it may feel like a lot of work, because you have to take them out after they eat, sleep or play, wich means you might have to take them out every half an hour, and when outside you have to wait until they pee or poop to bring them back, just so they know that the place to take care of business is outside, not in. Also our dog is pad trained, but some people dont like to train them with a pad because it encourages them peeing inside, but when it is minus something degrees in the winter believe me, the pad is not such a bad idea!! Anyway, the whole point with potty training is that eventually after they learn that the place to go is outside, they wont do it inside and as they grow they will learn to hold their pee inside for longer periods of time, and then you will be able to take them out just a couple of times a day. Good luck!