Puppyhood is the "formative" period for your dog. What you teach
him during this time will most likely stick with him the rest of his
life. One of the most important things to get started is to
train dogs to potty outside.
Probably the most helpful tip to ease both your pup's stress and your
own is to develop a routine as soon as your puppy begins living with
you. You can begin by accustoming your puppy to sleep/eat/potty
routine. Try feeding your puppy around the same time every day, making
for frequent trips outside afterward. He will soon adjust his body to
the routine.
A good way to save your sanity is to admit right off the bat that your
puppy will have accidents, and the sooner you understand this, the
easier your
dog potty training
will be. You can help ease accidents by storing some newspaper in a
dedicated spot so that your pup can at least familiarize himself with
going in one area if he can't make it outside. This works particularly
well if you don't have a "doggy door" and your puppy relies on you to
let him out.
The earlier you get to know your puppy's "eat/potty" schedule, the
easier potty-training will become. The most easy rule to go by is to
remember that by the time you've fed or watered your pup, he will be
ready to potty roughly 15 - 20 minutes later. If you can, try to have
your puppy outside at this time so he will familiarize himself with the
proper "potty surroundings".
It is important that you are careful to separate "potty time" from
"play time." As it is natural for puppies to want to explore, you
should only encourage them at the appropriate times. Nothing is more
frustrating than to be up at 2 am with your little guy running around
the yard for twenty minutes, only to potty as soon as you get back
inside.
This period in your puppy's life is a great one to start administering
praise and discipline techniques. a lot of people prefer the terms
"good boy/girl" and "no," which can be still be said when your dog is
older. Although puppies need a lot of repetition, routine, and
firmness, remember that your puppy will soon grow up, so enjoy his
puppyhood while you can!
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