Puppy Potty Training

Potty training is among the first tasks you'll need to attend to if you have recently adopted a new puppy into your household.

You will soon realize that when it comes to dog potty training that your dog has a lot to learn. No one likes to deal with messes for longer than is necessary, so when you have him home, you'll find that there is no time like the present to teach him what he needs to know. Before you get started, though, you should keep a few things in mind about potty training your puppy.

The first thing that you need to understand is when he needs to go outside. You'll find that you should take him outside after a nap and when he first gets up in the morning, as well as after he has eaten. If you crate him, take him outside after he has been crated and also before he goes to sleep at night. If he is sleeping closely to you, you'll find that you should also take him out when he whimpers at night. Basically, you are looking to get him to associate the action of going outside with when it is appropriate to defecate or urinate. When he is performing in the right place, make sure that you praise him in a cheerful voice. This might be a little difficult for you to muster when you are taking him out at 6 A. M. but do your best. Remember that you should only feed him when you can take him outside right afterwards. While you can make sure that this happens with water too, make sure that you don't run the risk of dehydrating your dog, especially if it is during the summer months.

You also need to keep in mind that accidents do happen, especially if the dog is very young. Don't get angry at your puppy; this will only make him nervous and fearful and more prone to accidents, which is the last thing that you want. Simply clean it up matter-of-factly. Do not push his nose in the mess; this is a cruel practice that simply does not work; he has no association with your anger or anything he did and serves no purpose in dog potty training.

Sometimes the food you're feeding your dog may make your dog potty training more difficult. If you think this is the case you may want to consider a more natural holistic dog food.

While some older dogs who are new to the home might have some accidents before they figure out what they should do, typically only young dogs needs potty training. Remember that if your older dog has been having accidents in the home that it is time to take him to the vet to see what might be causing this problem.