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Do this to get your puppy potty trained

When you bring your puppy home at 8 weeks of age, it is not housebroken. The breeder may have had good routines and taken the puppies out frequently so that they get used to the toilet being outside and prefer to do without.but even if this is the case, the puppy lacks the ability to hold itself when pressed, before it is about 3 months old. Getting your puppy housebroken can take anywhere from a few days to almost a year depending on the individual and how attentive you are as an owner.

Make it a habit to always take the puppy out the first thing you do when you wake up. And no, you usually don't have time to go to the bathroom yourself first. The happier you act and the more you play up the puppy, the more likely it is that it won't be able to hold on until you're out, so just put on your clothes, grab the leash and carry the puppy out.

Try to go to the same place every time you go out to walk so that the puppy recognises itself and the scents. Dogs like to go to the same place as before, so going to the same place makes it easier for the puppy to understand what is expected of it. This is also why if the puppy has peed on a mat once, it will be happy to go back there the next time. There are special products that neutralise the scent particles, but the puppy still has a memory of peeing on that particular mat, so you usually have to remove the mat until the puppy is housebroken.

Be prepared to stay outside until the puppy has cleared up. Sometimes it will settle straight away, other times it will be distracted by butterflies, sounds, good smells etc and you can't rush a result, you just have to wait nicely.

When the puppy is almost finished with its needs, you can calmly praise it with your voice. If you get too excited, the puppy will go into overdrive and if it wasn't quite ready by then, the rest will come indoors. If you wait until the puppy has walked a few steps before praising it, it will not understand why it is being praised.

When should I take the puppy outside

Puppies generally need to go outside after every meal, every playtime and every nap. Plus possibly a few more times in between. This means you may need to take your puppy out once an hour sometimes. Often you can tell by looking at the puppy that it is pacing back and forth or seems to be looking for a good place to sit, if you see these signs indoors, just pick it up and carry it outside. They rarely pee when you carry them.

What do I do at night?

Make sure the puppy gets out and does the last thing it does before you go to bed. At night, it's a good idea to confine your puppy's space to one room, or part of a room. However, putting the dog in a cage is illegal. The smaller the area, the fewer things the puppy can be bothered with. You should sleep close enough to the puppy that you can hear it if it wakes up and gets worried that it needs to go out, or set the clock and take the puppy out a few times during the night.

If an accident occurs

If an accident does happen indoors, just wipe it up and make sure you keep a better eye on the puppy so it doesn't happen again. If you scold the puppy for doing inside, you will ruin your relationship and make the puppy an insecure individual as it usually doesn't understand why it is being scolded. If it does understand why, it will just be more careful to sit where you can't see.

Be patient

Remember, it's not just about all pee breaks taking place outdoors. In fact, the puppy only learns to hold himself better with age. So be patient, do the best you can, and use your puppy's age to help you succeed with room cleanliness. As your puppy enters the puppyhood period, this may also be a sign that your dog is starting to pee inside again. Male dogs may want to mark territory and female dogs pee more often when they are about to go into heat. So keep this in mind too if your puppy is peeing inside.

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