A Dog is a Man's Best Friend

Bringing home a new dog or puppy is very exciting.  Everyone wants to visit and play with the new bundle of joy.  However this fun and excitement can come to a quick halt when you have to clean up their accidents from your rug, lap or furniture.  There are a few basic steps you can take from day one to make potty training your puppy fast and simple. 

First, be sure to take the puppy out to use the bathroom every fifteen minutes on the first few days.  I know this sounds frequent and un-necessary... but it's the key to quick potty training.  Puppies don't know the difference between your home, and their bathroom.  The world is their bathroom.  They can go from romping and playing to squatting and "going" in a moments notice.  Be sure not to scold your puppy for this.  Right now, they honestly don't know any better.  be sure to scoop them up each time they start to sqat and take them outside.  You might have a couple misses this way, but they need the reinforcement that going in the house will always land them in the yard. 

While you are outside waiting for them to go to the bathroom, no playing.  Don't yell or command them to do anything at this time.  Commands come later.  While they go and immediately after they go be sure to use your command.  Say "Good dog, go potty!" be sure to use the word bathroom or potty a lot while prasing them.  You are teaching them this word.  You may have to wait a while. but be sure you don't bring them back inside until they go.  Also, be sure to play  with them and praise them significantly after they go potty. 

Potty training with a crate cuts the potty training time in half.   Use the crate with NO BLANKETS (in your house... so it's warm) for the first two weeks.  You may add blankets after that time.  They do not like to go to the bathroom in their sleeping space.  If there is a blanket there to absorb the mess, they will go on it, and never make the connection.  Their crate should be only large enough for them to lay down and turn around in for the first three weeks they are home.  Also, you must let the puppy out in the middle of the night for the first four-six weeks.  If you don't, they will come up with other clever ways to potty in their crates.  Then you start all over...

If you follow these basic steps, your puppy will trust that you are going to let it out.  This inspires them to wait until the next bathroom break to go potty.  They catch on pretty quickly with good training.  Remember that some breeds potty train faster than others, so be patient.  Golden Retrievers and Cocker Spaniels are slower to train.