Potty Training Your Puppy

Whether you just adopted a puppy or an adult dog, chances are you are going to have to house train your dog to do the business in the appropriate place. For most dogs, it will take 4-6 months to a year of diligence to potty train. But, depending upon your new dog's previous living conditions and already developed habits, it could take longer or they could already be trained! If you have a straight out of the womb puppy, you will need to begin potty training at about 12-16 weeks. Whatever the scenario, you are going to need:

• consistecy
• patience
• positive reinforcement

When you first bring your new addition to the house, limit where he/she can roam. This will give you a more controlled environment and give your dog less options to use as a toilet. Then, follow these steps:

Dog language for using the bathroom:

• Whining
• Circling
• Sniffing
• Barking and Scratching at the door

 As training progresses, you can offer more freedom for your furry family member to roam around the house. But, I would advise to slowly offer more roaming space... like one room at a time... until trust is established. Remember, you need to convince your new friend, that the great outdoors is the best place to go to the bathroom! This is done through consistency, patience and positive reinforcement.