Tips for Housetraining Your New Puppy

One of the first things you will want to teach your new puppy when you bring him home is housetraining. This can be the start of your bond with you and your puppy. It is a good idea to make it a positive experience for the both of you. Housetraining your puppy requires patience, consistency and commitment. It may take a few weeks to successfully housetrain your puppy. Your puppy will learn to get used to a routine schedule for eating, playing, and going outside to eliminate.

To begin the process, you may want to take your puppy outside at least every two hours during the day. You may take him outside after every meal or drink, or after he wakes up from a nap. Always remember to take your puppy out when he wakes up in the morning, after playing, and before going to bed at night.

Choose an area outside and try to take your puppy close to that same spot each time, so he becomes very familiar with it. When you are going through this housetraining process it is very helpful if you praise and reward your puppy when he eliminates outside. Praise the puppy verbally and you may also want to give him a treat. This is a type of positive reinforcement for your new puppy. He will learn that going to the bathroom outside is what is expected of him. Also, feeding your puppy at the same time each day for each meal is helpful to keep a good routine schedule.

During the night, some puppies can sleep for several hours without having to eliminate. Your puppy may wake you up during the night. If that happens you may quietly take him out to eliminate and then help him get back to his bed.

During the day, when you are with your puppy you can learn to watch for signs that your puppy needs to eliminate. Some signs may be restlessness, sniffing around, barking, going to the door or trying to squat. When you see these signs you may quickly take your puppy outside to his bathroom area. If he eliminates outside you can praise him and reward him with a treat. Hopefully, some of these housetraining tips will be helpful.