Introduction to potty training

Puppy potty training is one of the first things you'll do to help your dog get acquainted with their new home, and there are many ways to go about it.

Your new puppy might not speak the same language as you, but they'll try to tell you they need to eliminate in their own special way. Luckily, you can look out for certain signs. Immediately bring your dog outside to their special potty spot when you see them pacing in circles, Sniffing the floor, whining with no obvious immediate reasoning, barking or scratching at the door, or squatting. Once you notice these signs you will need to act fast! Immediately grab your puppy and bring them outside. When your puppy successfully goes to the bathroom outside, remember positive reinforcement! Have training treats handy and all the enthusiasm you have to show your puppy they did a great job.

• Try to keep meal time the same everyday. This will help you and your puppy in multiple ways. Your puppy will learn when they should expect to be fed and get into a routine and you will gain a general idea of when to expect your puppy to have to eliminate with this routine.

• Keep an eye on when your puppy is drinking as well as how much. If your puppy is a heavy drinker odds are they will need to urinate more frequently. Take your puppy out soon after they drink during training, this will help to avoid accidents as your puppy doesn't know to hold it once they realize they need to urinate yet.

Crate training has been proven to be highly effective for potty training in puppies! Think of their crate as their den, they want to keep their den clean and do not want to eliminate themselves where they are eating and / or sleeping. If you keep your puppy in a playpen or in a smaller enclosed room, they still have room to make a corner their bathroom and still have separate living quarters in the area. With the crate you use a divider if you have a larger crate and you give your puppy enough room to stand up, turn around, and lay back down. This will teach your puppy to hold their bladder. Immediately take them outside when you let them out of the crate.

Remember that accidents are a natural part of potty training. Do not punish your puppy for having an accident as this may have the opposite effect and cause more accidents in your home. Calmly bring your puppy outside after having an accident and remind them the proper place for them to eliminate themselves. Immediately clean the area of the accident, what type of cleaner you use is also very important. You want to use an enzymatic cleaner designed specifically for pet waste. Other cleaners won't eliminate the odor causing your puppy to relieve themselves in the same spot in the future.