Undoubtedly, there is nothing quite as cute as a new puppy. But let’s face facts. Not everything about a puppy is cute. As is true with a human toddler, puppies have to be potty-trained, or house-broken, if you will. If you want to make sure to properly house-break your new puppy, you have to do the job the right way from the very start. The first thing you should do is to take your puppy out to the back yard, if you have one, and let him stay there until he does his business. Let him know how pleased you are with the good job he’s done. This should be done about every two hours.
When you are house and crate training your puppy, you should feed her in her crate, and then bring her outside very soon after she is done eating. Allow her some time to go. At first, you will have to carry her out and put her on the grass or ground so that she makes the right associations.
Enabling your puppy to feel grass under his feet when it’s time to go will reinforce the outside as an appropriate place to eliminate. You might need to help him along by walking around first.
Remember also to take your puppy outside again just before bedtime. If he cries during the night, it may be that he needs a bathroom break. Take him outside if that’s the case.
The puppy should go back in his crate after having gone outside for the last time of the day. Try to keep things quiet and calm at this time, so the puppy will go back to sleep and not want to play instead. After some time (a few days), your puppy will understand the routine and know that night time is for sleeping.
All of these tips notwithstanding, you should probably lay down newspaper in the puppy’s area so that she will have a place to go, just in case. The idea is that you can gradually move this newspaper further and further away- and closer to the door to the outside.
Finally, it is very important to reward your puppy for being good. If your puppy does his business properly outside, show him how happy you are or give him a treat for a job well-done.
Do not reward your puppy unless he’s been good. In time, he will know which behaviors work and which ones don’t, and he will try to be as good as can be so he always gets a treat.
