POTTY TRAINING

Bella is learning to use her grassy potty pad

Patience is the key to success If you are patient and are ready to accept that perfect house training takes time, even months sometimes, you will end up having a good house trained dog. Commitment, consistency and intelligent use of positive re-enforcement will make you the owner of a perfectly house trained dog easily and smoothly. Don't expect miracles. You will only be disappointed.

POTTY TRAINING EXAMPLE

Keep your days the same

i.e., 7am potty break 10am potty break 4pm potty break etc...

Always take your dog out the same door for potty
Always take your dog to the same area of the back yard
Always take your dog outside on a leash for potty until your doggie understands the routine.

(This routine will help this bathroom area become the first and most consistent place for the puppy to relieve himself.)

Always calmly praise and / or treat immediately after elimination in the correct area.

(Be careful not to praise in such a manner that your dog stops going potty)

Set up your dog's sleeping & eating area so he travels in a straight line to his bathroom area - no twists or turns to get outside.

(Since puppies are easily distracted, it is important to be calm when taking the puppy to his potty area. He may confuse potty time with play time or walk time if you don't act significantly calmer when taking him for a potty break)

After your dog understands his potty break routine, start using a "command" such as, go potty or do your business, right before he actually does go potty & calmly praise your dog after he goes potty. This will teach your dog to go on command. This is good if you are traveling or in a hurry.
Make a potty log, if you know when your dog is most likely to eliminate, begin to tailor your potty runs around those times & eliminating potty runs at times when you are certain her never goes.
Never assume your dog has gone potty. You must witness your dog going potty before he can be given "free time". A very common mistake that dog owners make is to bring their puppy in the house after the puppy has been in the backyard for a while and give the puppy "free time". Dog owners assume that the puppy has probably gone potty because he was in the backyard. This is very risky assumption.
Always put your puppy on a leash and walk him over to the potty area before bringing him in the house. If the puppy doesn't go potty at that time, you can bring the puppy in the house, but he must be confined. Then do it over again, take your puppy potty on a leash & after you see your puppy potty, it is free time.

** After you take your dog out for potty & he goes within the first 5 minutes, praise him & give him a treat. Now, give your dog another 10 minutes to "go" again before bringing him inside.

(Sometimes puppies will go again and sometimes they won't. Lots of puppies do not empty themselves completely in just one squatting. It is extremely important to give the puppy the additional 10 minutes.)