8 PUPPY POTTY TRAINING STEPS

1. CREATE A SCHEDULE - Base potty breaks on the pup's age, activity level, and mealtimes. 

2. CHOOSE A LOCATION - Dogs rely on scent cues to remind them what's expected. Whether you create an indoor toilet spot with newspaper, pee-pads or a doggy little box. You can also select an outdoor potty, take them to treat same place each time. 

3. CONCENTRATE ON BUSINESS - Keep them on a leash until their productive, or they will play and have an accident inside. Take off the leash for playtime as part of their reward for eliminating. 

4. NAME THE DEED - When they squat, say a cue word that identifies the action. Some examples of these cue words include, "take a break", "hurry up" or "potty". Make sure your entire family uses the selected cue consistently. Once the puppy has been productive, reward with lots of praise, play or a tiny treat that does't upset their regular nutrition. 

5. CONFINE AND SUPERVISE - Puppies don't want to live up close and personal with their own waste, so confinement can be a great tool to teach a quick lesson. A small room won't work - they can poop in one corner and sleep in the other. If the pup isn't productive after fifteen minutes during a potty break, confine in a crate for fifteen minutes and then try again. If they potty in the crate, that confines the mess to an easily cleaned area. They have to live with their mistake for a short time. The next time they will be more likely to empty when offered the opportunity. 

6. WATCH FOR WARNINGS - Puppies sniff the ground walk in circles before they pose. If they squat inside, pick them up, so they stop the process, and move them to the designated legal toilet area. Give your cue word, and praise them when they are successful in the right spot. 

7. CLEAN ACCIDENTS - Use an odor neutralizer to eliminate the smell that lure your puppy back to the scene of the crime. 

8. ROLL UP THE NEWSPAPER - When you find an accident, it means you've not paid attention to his news. If you're feeling aggravated, don't hold back. Roll up that newspaper - and hit yourself over the head with it, and resolve to do better next time. Just like puppies, owners take time and patience to learn important lessons. 

HOW LONG CAN THEY "HOLD IT?"

Below are a few guidelines to follow when it comes to your pup's capacity. These guidelines can help you schedule their potty breaks and give them every opportunity to do the right thing. Please note that it can vary a bit between breeds but in general this is what you can expect...



• FOUR MONTH OLD PUPS: Can wait five hours
• FIVE MONTH OLD PUPS: Can wait about six hours
• SEVEN MONTH OLD PUPS: Should be able to wait about eight hours

We wish you the best of luck with your puppy potty training. Again, the key is to have patiences and be persistent with their schedule and it will pay off. 

Resource: www.thesprucepets.com