Potty Training

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Potty training a new puppy is probably the most challenging task for a new puppy owner.  I have a tried and proven method that will not fail if done consistently and patiently.   Please remember not to set your expectations up to high to soon.  An 8 week old puppy does not have the bladder control nor the mental maturity to understand what you are expecting.  It is not until they are about 12 weeks before they start grasping the concept but you still need to establish a routine with your puppy and some are quicker than others.  

You must use a crate!!!  Dogs do not use the bathroom where they sleep so they must sleep in a crate.  This will help you train the puppy by forcing him to wait until you take him outside or place him on the pee pad.   Once your puppy is potty trained you no longer have to use the crate but you will find they will prefer to sleep there.  

So lets start the day.  Puppy has been asleep in his crate.  First thing take him outside to potty.  Praise him and offer a treat like canned chicken chunks.  Bring him back in and offer food and water.   Watch him he may need to potty about 15 minutes after he eats.  Allow him time out of his crate about an hour and a half to two hours.  Then back in the crate for an hour or so.  Take him out again.   Now here is the key.  If the puppy does not use the bathroom when you put him outside he must go back in the crate.  Only give him about 5 minutes to go outside.  Pee time and play time are not the same.  If he does not use the bathroom bring him back in and put him in his crate.  Leave him for about 30 minutes and back outside again.   Keep doing this until he uses the bathroom outside or on pee pad.  Only then is he allowed out of the crate for a few hours.  You will repeat this process thru out the day.   If the puppy is not put back in his crate he will find an area to pee in your house.  Dogs pee in the same general area so take him outside and put him where you want him to use the bathroom.    Keep the area in your house that he is allowed free run to a minimum so he does not sneak and use the bathroom.  Once he is trained he can have run of the house.  Keep the puppy off rugs and carpets or at least to a minimum.  The smell does not come out and it will draw them to that area to pee.  

When you put the puppy to bed a night you will need to get up at least once to let him out.  You will do this until he is about 12 to 16 weeks old.  If the puppy fusses in his crate put a towel over the crate to make it dark and cozy and put him in a room in the house where you can get some rest.  He will settle down.  Dogs long for a den and the crate can become a den for the puppy.  It is not a cruel place for a dog unless it is abused.   No more than 3 hours  for any given time should a puppy be confined to a crate.  

So you work all day ok.  You will need to get an xpen and put the crate inside the xpen.  Leave the crate door open so puppy can come out of the crate but still be confined to a fenced in area where he can play and move around.  The xpen will also help if you are pee pad training your puppy so that he is forced to pee on the pads.   Lay the pee pads in the floor.  I put some tape on the pee pad so that puppy does not scratch it up.  

If you have questions let me know.  I am glad to help.