Puppy potty training – a mammoth task! The newest addition to your family arrives and you’re all over it. The cute little one captures everyone’s heart, and the feeling is much like a new baby being born. All of a sudden, a funny odor tickles your nose, and there arrives the first potty from your new pup! The tough task of puppy potty training begins now.

From the moment your pup enters your home, you need to do everything possible to make him/her feel comfortable and not threatened. You need to create a bond with the pup first, which in turn will help you introduce him/her to proper house etiquette, especially puppy potty training. Just like you would handle a new born baby, you need to have the patience to live through your pup’s tantrums and at the same time, love your pup until he/she is made to feel a part of the home.

It is best that you stay home for at least a week with your new pup before leaving him/her on their own. This will help you and your pup adjust, and helps you in potty training your puppy efficiently.

The first task in puppy potty training is to understand your pup. Try to identify the signs that he/she wants to relieve themselves. There are many generic signs such as getting restless, sniffing around the floors or corners, running around the same spot several times, etc. However, there can be certain specific actions that your pup might do when he/she wants to relieve themselves. Once you identify them, it will become much easier to train your pup to go outside or to a designated spot to relieve.

Whenever your pup shows signs that he/she wants to go potty, take him/her outside and stick to one specific location. Don’t try to play around during puppy potty training. Make him/her focus only on going in that particular spot. Try to use just one or two simple words that your pup can recognize as a command. Once your pup is done with potty, give a little praise or even a small reward in the form of some food. This will encourage your pup to come to the same spot the next time.

Puppy potty training can get frustrating at times. If your puppy fails to go to the designated location to potty, don’t get angry or hit him/her. The puppy will not understand punishment. Teach him/her a simple word like ‘No’ so that the pup can recognize when it is doing wrong. Try and watch your puppy at all times to ensure you can be there to take him/her to the potty spot when you see the signs. Rewarding and praising your puppy when they do so will inculcate positive behavior and go a long way in puppy potty training. If your puppy doesn’t go when you take him/her outside, put on a leash and try again after a while. Once the puppy goes, you can take him/her off the leash. This is another mode of conveying when and where your pup should go potty.

Once your puppy gets used to going in a particular place, take him/her for walks and try the same reward and praise technique. Teach your pup to go in different places and on different surfaces, but only where it is right to do so.

If you have the right techniques and enough patience, puppy potty training becomes a very simple and easy task.

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