#1

Don’t assume the puppy is more capable than it really is.  Puppies have limited abilities in the beginning, anatomically speaking.  If you find the puppy is having accidents, it is not being walked enough.  Very tiny toy breeds and young puppies must be walked a couple of times an hour for a while.

#2

Never, ever get upset with your puppy over an accident.  He will not know why you are upset, and instead he will assume the anger is something else, and it will be connected to just you coming home or into the room.  Simply clean the accident and leave it at that.

#3

Never, ever rub your puppy’s nose in it.  For many puppies this is traumatic, and just like yelling or getting upset, it will cause adverse reactions in many puppies that are unrelated to the accident.  In fact, some puppies that are harshly yelled at or have had their nose rubbed in it become very sensitive to using the restroom in front of the owner.  These dogs might hide to go and won’t necessarily stop having accidents.

#4

Don’t leave food and water in your puppy’s crate or area when it is bed time or you are away.  If the puppy eats or drinks, he is more likely to need the potty more quickly, and often is not available to him.  Set him up for success by limiting food and water and take it up within the hour prior to going into the crate or area.

#5
Be careful not to give your puppy too much freedom in the house.  Earned amounts of freedom that are age appropriate are fine, but too much freedom too soon leads to lots of accidents.  Close open doors and use baby-gates.

#6
Don’t forget to watch him! If you’re not paying attention to what he is doing or his body language, you are likely to miss any signals he is providing.  Many a puppy has gone the bathroom at an owner’s feet or nearby.

#7
Don’t assume that because you put the puppy outside he has gone the bathroom.  Many puppies, especially eight to twelve week old puppies, want someone to go outside with them.  That’s okay.  Even better, it allows you to see what exactly the puppy is doing and then you are certain he has fully gone.

#8
Don’t free-feed your puppy by leaving food down.  Instead, feed scheduled meals appropriate to your puppy’s size and age.  Food left down means you don’t know when your puppy might have to go to the bathroom.  Scheduled meal times create a very predictable pattern for potty time.

#9
Don’t allow accidents to set in fabrics and carpeting or other flooring.  The longer an accident is in place, the more of it that has seeped into the padding of carpets, grout in tile, or other similar surfaces.  This absorption makes it far more difficult to remove the odor so that he won’t return to the same location.

#10
Just because he has not had an accident in a while, don’t assume he is fully housetrained.  Just about no dog should be assumed to be housetrained until around 1 year of age and with a long history of no accidents.
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Crate training a puppy is the classic way to do it.  For most puppies, this is really one of the best ways.  The idea is to use the crate any time you will be away from the puppy or overnight.

The crate should only be as large as required for the puppy to sit up, stand, lie down, and turn around in.  Luckily, today many crate manufacturers make dividers so that you can purchase a crate that can grow with your puppy into adulthood.
The reason crate training works is because most dogs do not want to go the bathroom where they sleep.  In theory this is very true, but it doesn’t mean you won’t have accidents at all.  Puppies should not be excessively crated or forced to go for too many hours before being walked.
Tethering

This is a newer theory used for housebreaking a puppy.  This is where you use a leash, attached to the puppy, and the puppy is always a leash-length away from you at all times, until housebroken.

What is good with this system is that it keeps the puppy where you can see it.  This does aid the housebreaking process and allows you to limit accidents.  The main trouble with tethering is that most puppies are not even leash trained yet so they might find the tethering system a little concerning.

Wee Wee Pads

This is the least desirable method for long-term usage, but for extremely tiny puppies or apartment dwellers, it might be the only way to go in the beginning.
Wee Wee pads are disposable pads that are placed on the floor for the dog to use.  They are clean, hygienic, and simple.  It also does give a puppy easy access to a restroom at all times.

There are a few big problems with them.  First, once you train your puppy to go the bathroom in the house, you might find it a hard habit to break.  Some times these puppies don’t go the bathroom outside easily. Second, many a puppy has found other uses for the pads by shredding them apart and playing with them.  Lastly, there are some dogs that begin to view all sorts of items on the floor (like newspapers, blankets, etc.) as likely places for the potty, creating a bit of a housetraining nightmare.

Indoor Grass Potty

If you want to have an indoor, easy access potty, there are indoor grass potties (like the Mini Loo) that are easy to use.  They are similar in concept to the Wee Wee pads except it is not disposable at all.

It is a plastic box that is compartmentalized.  The top layer holds either real grass or artificial grass.  Any liquid drains through into a compartment that can be emptied quickly.  Grass is easily cleaned as well.

These grass potties make housebreaking a puppy a snap, but they can also be used for very small adult dogs, in apartments where it is a long walk to the restroom, older dogs, or for handicapped dogs.

Whatever method you choose, you need to be very, very consistent when housebreaking a puppy.  Don’t allow too much freedom, keep them close and supervise them, give them frequent access to the restroom area, and remember the cardinal rule of housebreaking a puppy: Accidents are always our fault!
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If you have a new puppy you should start a regular potty training schedule and routine. This helps both you and the puppy to create a pattern of behavior that both of you will follow. Remember, potty training has 2 parts – one for you and one for your puppy.

If you need to housebreak a puppy that has learned a behavior of having accidents in the house this is for you. You need to setup a new routine immediately. Start with a basic schedule of when you either take your dog outside or out for a walk. At a minimum your schedule should include:

• Once right after your dog awakes in the morning
• Once right before your dog goes to bed
• Once after every scheduled meal
• Once after every playtime
• Once after every nap

Setting up the basic pattern above will get your dog in the routine to go to the bathroom after those daily activities. Early in the housebreaking routine you should also add additional walks to reinforce the outdoor bathroom behavior. Once these patterns start to take effect, your puppy will give you an indication when they want to go outside.

Early in the housebreaking routine you should also reward your puppy with treats or positive physical and verbal praise. This will further reinforce the behavior as a good one. Make sure the attention you give your dog is the type he enjoys and he will repeat the behavior in order to get that attention from you over and over again.

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Bringing home your new puppy can be one of the most memorable moments for a new dog owner. You will have lots of great experiences and memories with your new puppy. There will also be a few experiences that are no so pleasant. One of those experiences is potty training your puppy. Your home is very new and confusing for your new puppy. He will be very nervous and curious his first few days in your home.   With all of the newness of his new environment he will need to start his potty training as soon as he gets home.

Puppies have a very small bladder which means they will need to go potty often. With proper potty training you can avoid potty accidents in the house. Here are a few tips to help potty train a puppy:

1. Develop a routine of when you are going to take the puppy out to potty. For starters, you should take your puppy out when they first wake up, before bed, and after each meal or play time.
2. Develop a regular feeding schedule. The times your puppy will have to potty depends on when you feed your puppy. Take your puppy to potty after each meal to get into the routine of potty training.
3. If during training your puppy has an accident, don’t punish your puppy. You should encourage your puppy when they have a successful potty but don’t punish them if they have an accident.

Lots of encouragement will go a long way when you potty train puppy.  A regular bathroom schedule should also be created and followed. Once your new puppy understands and gets used to the pattern you create he will feel more comfortable and understand what is expected of him. Your puppy should be watched closely when in the house. This is when most potty accidents happen and can be avoided by monitoring your puppy in the house.

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