- 1
Find a spot outside where you want your puppy to go potty and take him there regularly throughout the day.Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
Choose an area outside where you would like your puppy -- let's call him Teddy -- to do his business. - 2). Keep Teddy in his crate or pen area, or tethered on his leash close by. He should not be allowed to run free and unsupervised in the house before he is properly house trained.
- 3). Take Teddy outside every 45 minutes to his designated potty area. Also, he must be taken outside within 10 minutes of eating, waking up or transitioning between activities, such as playing or eating. Puppies, particularly those under three months old, need to urinate often. Older dogs can hold it in for much longer.
- 4). Circle around the designated area while using a cue word. I use "time to go" for Teddy. Keep the word or phrase short and don't change it. Teddy will learn to associate "time to go" with using the area. This cue will be one of the first commands you will teach your puppy.
- 5). Continue to repeat your cue phrase. As soon as Teddy uses the designated spot, praise and reward him with a treat.
- 6). Take Teddy back inside if, after about five minutes of circling, he shows no signs of needing to go. Try again in about 20 minutes.
- 7). Allow Teddy some free, supervised play time in the house after a successful potty trip outside. Play with your puppy and let him know you are pleased with his behavior. Then place him back in his crate or pen area.
- 8). Continue consistently with this 45-minute schedule. You are not only trying to prevent inside accidents but you are also establishing good toilet habits.
- 9). Do not feed Teddy close to bedtime. Take away his water before you go to bed. For the first few days and weeks, you will probably have to wake up at least twice during the night to take him outside.
- 10
Play with your puppy in different rooms in the house. Puppies won't poop in their living space.Digital Vision./Photodisc/Getty Images
Sit on the floor of each room in your house and play with your puppy for a few minutes each day. A dog is reluctant to urinate in his living space. If he can't can't get outside he will often run to a rarely used area. You want him to view every room in your house as a "no-potty zone."
previous post