Potty Training Your Dog

Whether you’ve adopted a puppy or an adult dog, house training is an essential part of incorporating your new pet into your family life. House training requires commitment, patience, and a lot of consistency! Accidents will (and do!) happen, but if you follow basic house training guidelines, you will soon get your new family member on the right track.

Here are the essentials of potty training as outlined by the Humane Society of the United States:

Establish a Routine

• Feed and give your dog water on a regular schedule.

• Give your dog consistent potty breaks.

• Keep the same location for every potty break.

• Reward your dog consistently when they potty outside.

Supervision is Crucial

Until your dog is potty trained, they should not roam indoor spaces freely. They should remain in an enclosed space (crate, playpen, etc) or on a leash. This way your dog does not have the opportunity to sneak off and potty inside.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to crate train your puppy.

Understand that Mistakes Happen

• Accidents are a normal part of potty training.

• When an accident happens, immediately take your dog to their outside potty spot and reward them if they finish there.

• Don’t punish your dog, as that does more harm than good. Just clean up the area.

• Clean the soiled area thoroughly and used an odor eliminator so your dog won’t want continue to use that spot.

Make Plans for When You are Away

When a dog is first learning potty training, they cannot hold their bladder for very long as they haven't built up the bladder muscles needed to do so. That's why it's important to plan ahead when you're going to be gone by arranging a time to come back and let them out or having a friend do so.

You can learn more tips and tricks for how to potty train your dog from The Humane Society of the United States here.