Ideas for Potty Training a Puppy

Puppies can be a joy to have around, until you start finding unseemly puddles or piles throughout the house. Since you can't watch your puppy all the time, you'll need to train it to eliminate in designated areas. Potty training a puppy can seem like a difficult task, but all it takes is some newspapers, treats, patience and a lot of praise.

  1. Paper Training

    • Train your puppy to eliminate on newspaper or training pads inside the house if it hasn't had all of its shots yet. Puppies have weaker immune systems than adult dogs, putting them at greater risk of infection or disease if they aren't fully vaccinated. Set up a safe area and block it off with baby gates if necessary. Make sure the area doesn't contain hazards such as cords or wires that your puppy could chew on.

      Line the entire area with newspaper or pads, and let your puppy explore. Once your puppy chooses a specific spot to eliminate on, it will most likely return to that spot over and over. Praise your puppy and reward it with a treat as soon as it's done eliminating. Continue to positively reinforce this behavior with praise and rewards every time your puppy goes on the papers or pads. Remove the soiled papers or pad to prevent damage to your floor or carpet. Potty training normally takes about six weeks to accomplish.

    Outdoor Training

    • Once your puppy has all of its shots, you can start training it to eliminate outside. Get your puppy used to a regular schedule for going outdoors. Take your puppy out as soon as it wakes up in the morning, after eating, after drinking water, following play sessions and after naps. Your puppy should be taken out about every two hours until it develops better bladder control. To help your puppy get used to a routine, feed it a high-quality puppy food at the same times each day.

      To get your puppy used to going outside, bring a soiled pad or paper and a clean one with you. Set these on the ground and let your puppy sniff them. The familiarity will help your puppy figure out what you want it to do. When that happens, make sure you praise your puppy and give it a reward immediately after it's finished. Waiting until you go back inside won't work because your puppy won't make the necessary connection between eliminating outside and being rewarded. You can take the paper or pad away when your puppy gets used to going outside regularly. Keep praising and rewarding your puppy every time it eliminates outdoors until this good behavior becomes second nature.

    Crate Training

    • If you can't keep a close eye on your puppy, consider putting it in a crate to prevent accidents. You'll need to gradually get your puppy used to the crate. Leave the door open and put a treat inside to entice your puppy to enter. This will also help your puppy associate being in a crate with a positive experience. Make sure the crate is just big enough for your puppy to turn around. A crate with too much space leaves room for your puppy to empty its bladder. As soon as you get home, take your puppy to its safe area or outside to eliminate.

    Accidents

    • Accidents are bound to happen during potty training. When they do, clean the area thoroughly so that your puppy will not return to the same spot to eliminate again. If you see your puppy going, pick it up immediately and put it on the papers or outside to continue. If you discover the mess after the fact, never punish your puppy for having an accident. Your puppy won't understand why it's being punished at that point, and scaring or hurting it will only lead to worse behavior.