House-Training a New Puppy – Three Easy Steps

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You just brought your puppy home and he or she is more than cute, you just know they could never do anything wrong. That is until you leave the room and when you come back your cute little angel used your new carpet as his bathroom. Some owners expect their puppy will automatically know where the bathroom is and will let you know when they have to “go.” However, it simply doesn’t work this way and if you get angry, scream, and yell you will only scare your dog so that he or she will not use the bathroom in front of you, they will use it in a hiding place inside the home. There is a much easier way and you can potty train your dog in three steps, but you have to be consistent.

Step one – decide where you want your puppy to potty, if it is in the yard, then you need to take him to the area several times a day. Keep in mind that puppies that are less than six months of age cannot hold their bladder for long periods of time. In fact, very young puppies can only hold their bladders for about 2 to 3 hours so you can expect to take your little puppy outside often, including during the night.

Step two – you need to get into a routine because dogs lean best by repetition, therefore, if you take your puppy out to potty after he eats, sleeps, plays, and drinks, he or she will become accustomed to knowing when they need to go. Moreover, they will learn faster where they are supposed to potty, and you will have fewer accidents than if you are just taking the puppy outside when you remember. Remember, the dog will learn much faster when you are consistent and get into a routine.

Step three – praise your puppy when they do their business is the right area because this will let them associate that what they just did pleased you and they want to please you. Keep in mind, in the early days of housetraining, there will be accidents, you can count on it, but do not slap or spank your puppy, and they do not understand this and will learn to fear you. Also, never rub his or her nose in their urine because this will confuse them even more since they do not understand this concept.

Therefore, to potty train your puppy, you need to know where you want him or her to go, be consistent with a routine, and praise your puppy when he or she goes in the right area. Making sure you take your puppy out enough in the beginning is key to a fast potty training because they quickly associate elimination with one particular area and they are praised for it, so they feel quite proud of themselves and because they want to continue pleasing you, they will continue using the area and then begin letting your know when they have to go.