All about Dog Potty Training

Regardless of how cute your puppy is when you bring him home, resist the temptation to delay dog potty training until later. Even very young puppies can be potty trained successfully.

A Crate

A puppy crate is a very helpful tool for dog potty training. A crate gives your dog his own "space" that he won't want to soil particularly at night. Be sure he given plenty of opportunity and encouragement to go potty before he's crated.

The Right Food

You may be tempted to buy cheap dog food, but you will most likely regret it in the end. Cheap dog foods are full of fillers. Since the fillers can't be digested and processed into fuel, they pass through your dog's digestive system causing gas and creating large amounts of stool. Higher quality dog foods do not have as much filler so your dog passes much smaller stools

A Schedule

Establishing a schedule for your puppy from the beginning will go a long way toward potty training him. Feeding should be done at the same times every day followed by taking him outside to relieve himself about 15-20 minutes after he eats. He should also be given the opportunity to go outside after naps and immediately upon being removed from his crate in the morning.

Communicating

Establish words that your dog can learn to associate with relieving himself. Use that word consistently to avoid confusing him. It's also important to learn your dog's signals that he needs to go outside; restlessness, sniffing around (especially in places he may have had an accident at some point) or going to the door can all be signals that your dog needs to go.

Reinforcement

When your puppy does well, praise him. Using the word he's come to associate with elimination, "good boy to go potty outside" will help him strengthen the connection between going potty and being praised.

Successful dog potty training requires patience and persistence but the pay off is well worth the effort. Well mannered dogs are a joy both to their owners and those around them.

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