How to Potty Train a Boston Terrier Puppy

Start potty training your Boston terrier puppy as soon as you bring him home. Waiting too long will only reinforce accidents and make training harder down the road.

Take your Boston terrier puppy to the designated part of your yard that you want him to use when he eliminates. When he begins to urinate, immediately state the command word you wish to use in the future to instruct him to urinate. A good command for this can be "Go Potty." If your puppy defecates, state the command you wish to use to instruct him to do the same action in the future. A good command for this might be "Make It" or "Go Poop." Do not play with your puppy until he has relieved himself.

Praise your puppy enthusiastically and give him some outside playtime after he has finished urinating. Offer him a treat as a reward and lots of pets to reinforce that you are very pleased with his behavior. If your puppy does not relieve himself, put him on a leash and try again in 20 to 30 minutes. It is important not to let your puppy off the leash during this time. Keep him nearby for careful watching to ensure an accident does not happen.

Allow your Boston terrier puppy some inside off-leash time after he eliminates outside. These off-leash periods are a reward for eliminating outside. They should be supervised and last 15 to 20 minutes. Once this period is over, your puppy should be reattached to the leash and kept at your side until it is time to go outside again.

Take your puppy outside on a schedule. Puppy's have relatively small bladders and should be allowed to relieve themselves often. The general rule of thumb for puppies is to take the puppy's age in months and add one. For example, a 2-month old puppy should be expected to hold his bladder for three hours. Also, be sure to watch for signs that he needs to go potty, such as sniffing, circling and squatting.

Feed and offer water on a schedule. Puppies will generally want to relieve themselves soon after eating or drinking. Knowing when they eat and drink will help you know when to take them outside.

Know that accidents will happen. Even with the most vigilant pet owner, it is almost inevitable that an accident will occur. If you are able to catch the puppy in the act of urinating or defecating indoors, interrupt that activity with a stern "No" command and immediately take the puppy outside to the designated potty spot. If you do not catch the puppy in the act, then you can do nothing to correct the puppy at that time, as their memories are too short and they will not associate your correction with their behavior from minutes earlier.

Clean the accident immediatly in either situation. Use a product specified for pet urine stains. These cleaners are specifically designed with compounds that break down the enzymes present in dog urine. It is important to remove all traces of the smell so the puppy does not re-mark the same spot.

Place your puppy in a crate or other small confined area if you cannot watch your puppy. Puppies are unlikely to soil their sleeping quarters.

Celebrate your successfully potty-trained puppy when he has not had an accident for several weeks.