When Do I Start Potty Training a Dog?

By Kristen N. Bailey

Instructions

The First Weeks

Step 1:
A mother dog takes care of small puppies and cleans them. Wait through this stage to potty train. Most dog owners get their dog at eight weeks, so begin potty training then.

Potty Area

Step 1:
As soon a puppy can go outside, take him out to a special potty area after eating, playing, waking up, when he sniffs around or whenever you think he needs to go. You can use pee pads indoors when he's very young.

Frequent Opportunities

Step 1:
Your puppy will go often, so take her outside at least once an hour. This way, she'll learn good habits from the start so potty training will be easier on you.

Praise

Step 1:
Always tell the dog to "Go potty," and then praise her when she goes. If she doesn't go, place her back in her kennel or bed for 20 minutes and try again.

Fun Training

Step 1:
The easy way to train a dog is to trick it into behaving the way you want. Yelling at a dog or punishing it won't train it to go outside. Keep it simple when they are young.

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