When it comes to housebreaking a puppy, you need to make sure to start potty training them right from the start. It’s easy to get caught up in their cuteness and the excitement of having a new pet, but you want to be sure to establish good habits with them right from the beginning or it could cause problems later on.

Several potty training techniques are available to you, but they’re not all effective. For example, one method that is taught is paper training. With paper training, your dog learns to go potty on newspapers or puppy papers you keep inside your home. Once they’ve learned to use the papers, you then teach them to go potty outside. It works better to skip right to having them do their business outside from the very beginning.

Another common method is crate training. This is a very popular method, and for good reason. It works well. Crate training involves putting your pup in a crate anytime you cannot supervise them. You’ll purchase a crate from your local pet shop, that is right about the same size as your puppy’s bed. This will prevent them from peeing or pooping in it, because if they do, they’ll be forced to be in close proximity to it for the remainder of the time they’re in there.

Anytime you can’t supervise your pup, for instance when you leave the house to go shopping, or when you are at home cooking, cleaning, painting, etc., you put your puppy in its crate. This teaches them they’re able to hold it if they have to go to the bathroom while in there. They learn their body can hold it and they don’t have to go the second they get the urge.

It’s important to get the right size of crate. If it’s too large, they may potty in it because of the extra space. If it’s too small, they will not be able to lay down and it will be very uncomfortable for them. They need to be able to lay down comfortably.

Here’s a tip that will be very helpful for you. You should teach your dog a ‘potty word’. No, not profanity! It is a word you use when you want them to go to the bathroom instead of playing around in the yard. Any word or phrase you want to use will work fine, as long as you are consistent with using the same word/phrase every single time.

When your puppy is outside going potty, you will say the ‘potty word’, then praise them and give them a treat. This will teach your pup to go potty when you take them outside for that purpose.

Be sure that if you take them outside to play games or go for a walk, you don’t say this potty word. It needs to be something exclusive to them going to the bathroom, not a commonly used phrase you may accidentally say at some other time. Over time, you will be able to tell your dog the phrase and they will do their business immediately and rush back to you for their treat, rather than leisurely strolling around in the yard while you sit around and wait for them to potty.

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