How to Potty Train a Puppy: 5 Helpful Tips

by Kandice Murray

Have you wondered how to potty train a puppy that just seems intent on soiling every part of your living room? Potty training a puppy is much like potty training a toddler. Just like a little child, a puppy does not know what is proper unless you make it known what is expected of them. It is up to you to place boundaries. It can be frustrating but with patience and persistence you can easily potty train your puppy. The following are some tips that will help to potty train a puppy.

• Potty Training Tip #1: Crate your puppy. Anytime you are unable to watch the puppy, put them in a crate. Teach the puppy a command such as "crate" to get the puppy to go into the crate. This may take a few attempts. The puppy will likely cry at night but be strong. Do not let the puppy out. Letting it out will give it permission to roam and urinate wherever it pleases and this will ruin the potty training.



• Potty Training Tip #2: If you can feed the puppy dry dog food. This will help the stool to be solid. Puppies will require lots of water though. During potty training, don't feed the puppy at least four hours before bedtime and remove its water two hours before bedtime.



• Potty Training Tip #3: Bring the puppy to the same place outside. Every time the puppy goes outside, go with it to potty train. Make sure it goes to the same place. Give the puppy ten minutes and if it does not go potty, bring it back inside to the crate. Give the puppy another fifteen to thirty minutes and go back outside.



• Potty Training Tip #4: After every meal, give your puppy potty time. Make sure you take your puppy to potty first thing in the morning, after every meal, and before going to bed. Before long, the unruly puppy will be potty trained.



• Potty Training Tip #5: Do not play with your puppy when it is going potty. Give the puppy ten minutes to potty. If the puppy doesn't potty, put it back in the crate for ten to fifteen minutes. Then take it to the potty again. If the puppy does go potty, give it praise or a reward.

Remember that a puppy is a baby. Potty training a puppy is not fool proof. Accidents will happen. The bladders and bowels of puppies are not well developed. By the time they realize they need to go, they may not be able to hold it. For this reason, one potty training lesson for the puppy is to keep it away from all carpeting. If an accident does occur, clean up the mess as soon as possible. Leave no trace of odor. Puppies have very sensitive sense of smell. They will think that the place they smell the odor is where they are supposed to go next time. Don't let this ruin the potty training of your puppy. To get rid of odor, purchase special odor removers from the pet store.

Potty training a puppy can be frustrating and very rewarding. Potty training a puppy may test your temperament. Be patient. With time and consistency your puppy will be potty trained and you will feel a wonderful sense of accomplishment.

Kandice Murray is an animal lover. She developed her love of animals from her first pet, Corky, a quirky canine that taught her many life lessons.