This is obviously not a complete potting training blog, but just hoping to share some helpful hints in the process of potty training your new puppy.

This morning after breakfast, I loaded the pups up in my handy dandy laundry basket transporter and headed downstairs and out the back door. The yard is still mostly covered in snow, but the patch under the pine tree in back is clearing slowly. It seems to be the favorite spot for the dogs in the house to head to also for potty breaks.

Now, this was only their second trip to the great outdoors so they were pretty distracted by all the sights, sounds and smells. Zuma was walking up and down the outside of the fence, the rooster was crowing and there were so many smells on the ground. So needless to say, they didn’t get much potting done besides a few quick squats to pee.

Your puppy also may be pretty distracted at first. And if you don’t have a fenced yard and are taking puppy out on a leash, the leash can also be a distraction since it’s something new to them.

If you have a certain spot in the yard that you want to use as the bathroom, always take them there to potty.

When I take a puppy (or puppies) out to potty, I use a command, “Go potty!” or “Hurry up, go potty!” If the puppy does potty there’s lots of verbal praise, “Good puppy!”, Good potty!”

When you take your puppy outside for a potty break, don’t engage them in play. He is out there to do a job. Walk around with him a bit, give the “go potty” command over and over and let him sniff and do his job. If he does, there’s lots of praise. If puppy has done all his jobs (peeing and pooping; mostly the latter after a meal and warning…they might poop more than once) than when he goes back in the house he can have some “free” time to play and interact with his humans. But you must still actively be watching him.

But let’s say he had lunch and you took him outside to poop and he sniffs and plays and runs around but only pees. You’re been outside for fifteen minutes and still nothing. Take puppy back inside, but do not turn him loose in the house! This is where the puppy containment area or crate comes in handy. Put your puppy back into the containment area. This is not as punishment, but so you know where your puppy is. (If you let him loose in the house, he wouldn’t likely go find a spot after a few minutes and end up pooping in the house and another reason why a human needs to be actively watching puppy at all time if he is loose in the house). Leave him in his crate of puppy pen for about 10-15 minutes then take him back outside and try again.

And yes, training your puppy is very time consuming! But if you get your puppy on a schedule and are consistent with training and giving him boundaries (the puppy containment area), your puppy will learn quickly the right thing to do (or the wrong thing if you aren’t consistent). Puppies do not know what we want of them until we teach them.

Most people give their puppies way too much free rein in the house before they are ready for it. That’s where accidents happen. And by the way, if your puppy has an accident in your house, it’s the humans fault. 😉 You are the teacher.

Back inside for our crew!

We brought snow with us.

❤️