How to Potty Train a 7-Week-Old Puppy

As cute as puppies are, there are certain skills they must learn in order to grow up to be happy, well-adjusted members of your family. The most important skill is learning when and where it is appropriate to relieve themselves. Puppy potty training is one of the most frustrating training challenges for dog owners. Even puppies as young as 7 weeks can, with a little patience and preparedness on their owners' part, begin to learn potty-training basics.

Things You'll Need

  • Puppy-size treats
  • Dog crate
  • Kitchen timer/alarm clock
  • Leash
  • Baby gate
  • Pet odor removal spray
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Instructions

    • 1

      Avoid punitive techniques. Ethical dog trainers agree that shoving your puppy's nose in his "accident," smacking him and/or screaming at him does not teach him not to potty in the house. All it does is teach him to be afraid of you. Punitive or scary house-training techniques do not work.

    • 2

      Pay for success. Even a small puppy likes to be rewarded for doing a good job. When your puppy does manage to eliminate outside, immediately praise her warmly and give her an extra-special treat like a thumbnail-sized piece of raw hot dog. This is the best way to show your puppy that there are benefits to pottying outside.

    • 3

      Crate train your puppy. In general, dogs will not soil their sleeping space. Dogs also descend from den-seeking animals and, with a little encouragement and training, your puppy will quickly learn to sleep accident-free in his crate. You can crate her at night and whenever you can't watch her, such as when you're cooking supper or at work.

    • 4

      Set up a schedule. Like babies, puppies most have to "go" when they first wake up, after they've eaten, and after a session of rigorous play. Make sure you take your puppy outside at these times and stay out for a while so he has a chance to do his stuff. Use a timer or alarm clock to remind you when you should take your puppy outside.

    • 5

      Limit your puppy's wanderings. In order to keep your puppy from sneaking off to a quiet room and leaving an unexpected gift, limit her ability to roam. As you're doing chores around the house, snap her leash to her collar, slide the loop around your belt and take her from room to room with you. if you can't do that, confine your dog in an area with an easy-to-clean floor like the kitchen or bathroom. Baby gates in the doorway allow her to see you but not get loose.

    • 6

      Thoroughly clean up all accidents. Although he's trying his best, a 7-week-old puppy is eventually going to pee and poop in the house. Plan for this and have a urine-specific pet odor/stain remover on hand. Dogs tend to relieve themselves in places that have been used for this purpose before, so you must remove all evidence, including all traces of smell, from your puppy's accident sites.

    • 7

      Don't ask him to hold it too long. It's completely unreasonable to ask a 7-week-old puppy to not have an accident while you're at work or asleep for an eight- to 10-hour stretch. Use the alarm clock to get up in the middle of the night and take him out for at least a month. If you can't come home from work at lunch and walk him, see if you can hire a neighbor to do so.

    • 8

      Be patient. A 7-week-old puppy is not going to be completely housebroken for several months. However, with positive reinforcement and a consistent eating and outing schedule, he should start to understand what you want him to do pretty quickly.