Tips on potty training your dog

Your puppy will learn quickly if he is taken outside on a consistent and frequent routine. He should have the opportunity to go potty after waking up from a nap, after playing and after eating.

Choose a location not too far from the door to be the . Always take your puppy, on a lead, directly to the potty spot.

Taking him for a walk or playing with him straight after he has been potty will help him to associate good things with going potty.

If you clean up an accident in the house, take the soiled rags or paper towels and leave them in the potty spot. The smell will help your puppy recognize the area as the place he is supposed to potty. While your puppy is pottying, use a word or phrase, like  'do wee wee',  that you can eventually use before he eliminates to remind him of what he's supposed to be doing.

Praise your puppy lavishly every time he goes potty outdoors. You can even give him a treat. You must praise him or treat him immediately after he's finished eliminating, not after he comes back inside the house. This step is vital; because rewarding your dog for eliminating outdoors is the only way he'll know that this is an appropriate behaviour.

If possible, put your puppy on a regular feeding schedule. Depending on their age, puppies usually need to be fed three or four times a day. Feeding your puppy at the same times each day will make it more likely that he'll potty at consistent times as well. This makes house training easier for both of you.

Don't give your puppy a chance to soil in the house.

He should be watched at all times when he is indoors. Look out for signs that he needs to potty, like sniffing around or circling. When you see these signs, immediately take him outside, on a lead, to his potty spot. If he goes potty, praise him lavishly and reward him with a treat.

If you're not able to watch your puppy closely, he should be confined to an area small enough that he won't want to eliminate there.

It should be just big enough for him to comfortably stand, lie down and turn around. This area could be a portion of a room, blocked off with boxes or baby gates. Or you may want to crate train your puppy and use the crate to confine him. If your puppy has spent several hours in confinement, make sure to take him directly to his potty spot before doing anything else.

Expect your puppy to have an accident in the house,  it's a normal part of house training. 

When you catch him in the act of going potty in the house, do something to interrupt him, like make a startling noise (be careful not to scare him). Immediately take him to his potty spot, praise him and give him a treat if he finishes going potty there. 

With these tips on potty training your dog, he should be going potty outside before you know it!

Enjoy your puppy!