How to Potty Train Your New Puppy

You have brought your new puppy home and now it’s time to start potty training it. In reality, if your puppy is under 16 weeks old, it is more a matter of it training you. Puppies are much like small children and don’t have much control until they are about 4 months old.

The first thing that you will need for a young puppy is a crate. If your pup is young and is going to be staying in his crate while you are at work for some hours, his crate should be big enough to house his bed and a small area to use as a potty. Puppies younger than 16 weeks should not be expected to hold it for 8 hours a day. Some breeds may but generally if your young puppy can, you should celebrate.

I personally use a playpen the size of the portable ones for babies. I put his bed in half and newspaper in the other half along with their water. Dogs, as a rule, do not like to go potty in their bed so eventually they will be able to wait until you get home. When you take him out, immediately take him to his assigned potty place and wait for him to go.

Even though your pup might not be ready to be totally trustworthy in the house, the time to start house training is now. You want him to develop good habits. You are going to spend the first several weeks observing your pup and trying your best to get him into his assigned potty place when he is ready to go. I bet you are asking, “How am I supposed to know when he has to go potty?” It’s actually pretty easy once you start watching him.

Signs and Times That Your Pup Has to Go…. NOW!!

• Waking Up. Unlike babies, puppies don’t go in their sleep so as soon as they wake up, it is a pretty safe bet that they will have to go. When you wake your pup up, take him outside right away. Don’t talk to him or play with him until he has gone potty.
• After Eating. Within a few minutes to a half hour after eating, most pups will need to go. Again, once he has finished eating, take him out and wait for him to go. Potty time is not play time so wait to play until he has finished his business.
• Circling: If you watch your pup outside when you take him out for a potty break, you will notice that almost all dogs run or walk in circles while sniffing just before going potty. You might notice that he doesn’t come when he is called when he is thinking about ‘going’ and the circles may get smaller and smaller until he finally goes. If you see him sniffing in circles in the house, it’s time to go out. Some young puppies don’t sniff but you will notice them doing the circling behavior.
• Going Away: Another behavior you might notice in your pup is that they will disappear into another room when they have to go. This is common once he has made a mistake or two and you have yelled or gotten upset with him. If you notice your normally attentive puppy suddenly withdrawing or going into another room, it is probably time to take him out.

More Housetraining Hints

Use the same command every time you take him outside. It is a better idea if the command is short; perhaps a word or possibly two. “Go Potty” “Hurry Up” or even just “Potty” will work. Use whatever command you are comfortable with because you will want to say it each time you take him out.

If you are consistent and pay attention, you will have a housetrained puppy by the time he is old enough to really control it. If you are not consistent and the puppy makes frequent mistakes in the house, you are making a habit that will stick with him forever and be difficult to break at a later date.

When he makes a mistake indoors, don't make a big deal about it. Clean it up with a solution of vinegar and water to remove any odor and take the pup outside. If you do not use some sort of solution to clean the odor out, he will return to this spot again and again. This is why they prescent housetraining pads.

If you have a small dog and you choose not to take him outside to potty, you can use the same technique with housebreaking pads or newspapers. Instead of taking him outside, you would take him to his pad and gently keep him on it until he goes. The important thing with a puppy is not to yell, spank or otherwise reprimand him if he makes a mistake. This will only drive him to find that quiet spot behind the living room chair to go where you can’t see him.

Be consistent, be kind and remember not to scold him. It is your responsibility to get him to his potty place when it is time to go.

I hope you have enjoyed this and if you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment or email me. I am always glad to help out. I will be posting a follow up about how to house train an older dog or older puppy at a later date.

How to Leash Train a puppy

Large or small, every puppy should be trained to walk politely on a leash. They should be taught not to pull and to walk calmly by your side for their own health and safety. This will make trips to the vet or to your local dog supply store much more pleasant for both you and your pup.

Begin leash training by fitting a buckle collar on your puppy. This collar should be loose enough to slide a finger or two fingers for a larger dog under the collar. Most of the collars today adjust by 4-6 inches so the collar you buy should last for at least a few months and longer for smaller dogs. Once you have the collar adjusted correctly, turn the puppy loose and let it get accustomed to it. It is normal for them to scratch at their new collar as it moves their hair but they will get used to it in a short time.

Next, attach your leash, put a few treats in your pocket and carry your puppy outside. Set the puppy down and walk a step. The puppy may very well follow right along and if he does, praise him a lot and give him a small treat. If the pup stops or pulls on the leash, do not drag him. Give a small tug on the lead and then release it and call him to you. Repeat tug and release until it takes a step towards you, then praise him and give him a treat. Usually within a few minutes, he will get the idea and start walking more or less with you. Be patient, however, this is a big step for a baby and an important lesson. End this lesson on a positive note, even if the puppy just took a few steps in the right direction.

Eventually, your puppy will get the idea that the leash means forward motion and you will go from you trying to get it to move, to it dragging you. If the pup is dragging on the leash, give it a small tug back and then let the leash go slack. Praise you puppy. It is important to keep your lead loose most of the time. If you are putting pressure on the leash, you are teaching the pup to lean against it and this can cause health issues later in its life. Give a series of tugs when your puppy starts to pull and talk to him while you are doing it. If his attention is on you, he will not pull and he will quickly learn that as long as he is beside you, the leash is loose.

An early start to leash training your puppy makes the whole process easier as younger puppies want to follow your feet. After the first lesson or two, your puppy should be walking willingly at your side without pulling or dragging. This is the first step to having a companion who is a joy in your life.