Bringing home a new puppy is one of the best things ever. Everyone is excited, cooing and crowding around the little fur ball. Then the romance begins to die down after a few weeks, people start getting busy again. You’ve guessed correctly, it’s time for puppy potty training to commence

Potty training is the beginning of an awesome adventure you can have with your new dog (that’s how I convince myself). Sure it can be a little unappealing at times but it’s a chore much needed for the rest of his life. Here are several puppy training tips to get you started on the right track.

Understand that puppies have yet to fully develop their bodies. This means that you need to closely watch when you feed and water them. Meals should not come right before bedtime or expect to rise up every so often to take your dog out to eliminate. In the beginning, you will have to wake up a couple of times at night to cater to his toilet needs. As he matures and you train him successfully, he will not need to go late at night anymore. For now though, setting good habits early is the most important thing.

Schedule the puppy’s intake of food and water and follow it as closely as possible every day. You want to train his body to remember certain periods in the day when to eat and eliminate. Take him out for a walk and potty first thing in the morning and before you sleep at night. Fifteen minutes after meal times bring him outside in a designated area to do his business. As you walk around the spot keep saying a phrase you want the puppy to associate with toilet urges like ‘go potty’ until he does.

When he finishes discharging, praise him profusely. The puppy should realize that going to the right spot for toilet duties was a good thing. Give him a treat and play with him for a few minutes before leading him back inside. Go out again after an hour just in case the dog feels like going potty again. Remember, good habits are the foundation of successful puppy potty training.

After setting a pattern of toilet practices he is learning to follow, you can now teach him how to ask to go outside. No, not audibly with words but with a bell. Tie a rope by the door with a bell dangling at the end of it. Give the bell a light push and say ‘go potty’ loudly for the puppy to hear on your way out for your special walks. After two weeks of doing this consistently, say ‘go potty’ by the door but don’t do anything. If all goes well the dog will nudge the bell himself and when he does, be sure to praise him well. If he doesn’t understand fully yet, gently guide him to move the bell and say ‘go potty’.

Repeat this pattern every potty break. The puppy will catch on soon enough and when he does, reward him with treats or praises for doing so. Soon, your pet will comprehend and touch the bell when he needs to go do his business outside.

When done properly and without fail, these puppy training tips will have successfully potty trained the dog. Enjoy this moment”before long its time for another episode of you and your puppys adventure!