How to Teach Dogs to Be Potty-Trained

A puppy's natural instinct is to do what they need to do when they need to do it. Training and rules are the requirements we put on dogs and so we must be the ones to work hard to help the puppy learn what is acceptable behavior and what is not. Diligence and constant supervision are needed when potty training a puppy. They can not communicate, and they do not understand your language either. But as they can learn what certain words mean, you can also learn to understand some of their body language and actions.

Things You'll Need

  • Dog crate
  • Leash
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Instructions

    • 1

      Keep accidents to a minimum when you are unable to supervise the puppy by confining it to a crate or special place in the house. A crate works best because there are less chances of the puppy getting into things they shouldn't, and less likelihood of property damage. If a crate is unavailable, pick a room or space without carpet. Accidents are easier to clean up off a solid floor.

    • 2

      Consistent training is essential in teaching puppies to use the outdoors. Keep the puppy on a leash. Tether it to you at first so you can keep an eye on the puppy's behaviors. When taking the puppy outside, keep it leashed until it has eliminated. Return it to the crate if it still hasn't gone after 10 or 15 minutes. Wait about half an hour, then go back outside. Don't play or give the puppy freedom until it has gone to the bathroom. Always use key words such as "Outside" or "Potty" to signal what they need to do. They will eventually learn to associate the word with the action.

    • 3

      Schedule feeding and outdoor times. As a general rule, a two-month-old puppy can only go about two hours without relieving itself. After feeding, playing, chewing or napping, the puppy should be taken outside. Puppies will give certain indications that they need to eliminate, such as stopping play suddenly, sniffing around the floor or running in circles. There will be a particular "look" on their faces. Learn to recognize the the warning signals.

    • 4

      Praise the puppy when it uses the bathroom in the right place. Make sure you catch the puppy in the act. This is why it's important to go outside with the dog on a leash. Praising after the fact will only cause confusion. The same goes for punishing. If you catch the puppy in the act of eliminating in the wrong place, tell it firmly, "No" and immediately take it outside. The puppy will not understand if you punish it after the fact.

    • 5

      Remember that accidents will happen. Proper clean up will help them from re-occurring. A dog's sense of smell is much sharper than ours. Even though you may think you have cleaned up the urine, the trace scent is usually still there and the dog will associate that place as an area that's okay to relieve itself. Pet stores carry special cleaners for killing urine orders. Make an inexpensive cleaner out of a half-and-half mixture of white vinegar and water.