Potty training is one of the most important parts of owning a new puppy! This process can definitely be overwhelming and also time consuming. Consistency is key to successful potty training and your puppy will be looking to you for guidance along the way. Here are some helpful strategies to help get your puppy potty trained in no time! 

 

When to take your puppy outside:

• Very first thing in the morning.

• Right before bedtime.

• When your puppy comes out of the crate.

• Within 20-30 minutes of eating and 5-10 minutes of drinking.

• Repeat, Repeat, Repeat!!! When in doubt, take your puppy out!!!

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What to do when you're outside:

• Minimize distractions and don't give your puppy any attention until he or she goes.

• Praise, Praise, Praise as soon as your puppy goes potty. Some examples can include: "Good Potty, Dream!" or "Good Girl, Dream!"

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What to do when you come back inside:

• If your puppy went potty, give he or she some supervised free time.

• If your puppy did not go potty, put he or she back in their crate with a toy and take them back out in the next 10-15 minutes.

 

What to do when your puppy has an accident:

• If you find the accident and didn't see it happen, clean it up and try to prevent it from happening again. Puppies live in the moment. It will not be effective to punish your puppy for an accident that previously happened. They won't understand!

• If you catch your puppy in the act, try to startle them with a vocal "ah!" or "no!" and then take him or her outside. This reinforces that potty time needs to happen outside.  

 

Additional tips and tricks:

• Try to change the place where you take your puppy to potty often. It is important to teach your puppy that he or she can go other places, otherwise he/she will think that they can only go in that one spot.

• Your puppy can typically "hold it" one hour per month in age. For example a 5 month old puppy can "hold it" for 5-6 hours.

• These tips and tricks are not to be used with puppy pads as puppy pads encourage your puppy to go potty inside.

 

 

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