Potty training for puppies starts out with all the excitement and anticipation but can be filled with disappointment. The key to a successful potty training effort is to use the best method to house train your dog, and that's crate training.

There are a few people who make the mistake of thinking that they don't need to begin to house train their pup and will do it later. This is a BIG MISTAKE as you want your dog to get in the right habits and not develop bad ones. A bad habit is one where your puppy thinks it's OK to urine or defecate (poop) in your home. Here's a few tips on how to successfully accomplish house training in as short a time as possible.

Potty Training for Puppies Tips

1. Confine your pet when you cannot see him. If you limit the area where your puppy can roam without you having direct contact, this makes it harder for him to have an accident. The reason for this is that like all dogs, puppies instinctively know not to relieve themselves in the general area where they sleep.

1. Limit the size of the confinement area. Giving a dog the bathroom covered with papers is not the answer. You want them to have enough room to turn around and to lie flat. Anything more and you're asking for them to use a corner of their area for bathroom business. Not a good idea.
2. Take your puppy out on schedule. Expecting your dog to be able to hold urine until it's convenient for you to take them out is unreasonable. Young puppies are good for around 2-4 hours and older pups can do 6 hours if you're careful.
3. Watch when you give your pet food and water. Right after mealtime is a good time for a puppy to spend some time outside. This is because a full stomach can sometimes push on a bladder and make them want to go potty
4. Stop all food and water after a certain time of the evening. Don't like to get up several times at night? Limit food and water 4 hours before bedtime
5. Take your puppy outside just before retiring for the night. The same idea of not wanting to get up to take your dog out, take her out just before you go to bed. An empty bladder is one that will hold more
6. Take your pet to the some spot outside every time. That's right YOU take your puppy outside and stay with them. The reason for this is that puppies like to stay close to their people and when you're there, they will take more time to finish all their business. If you're in to big a hurry, a dog may urinate outside but then poop once taken back inside the house. Understand that if this happens, it's the owners fault for not giving their pet enough time to go potty.
7. Praise goes a long way. Dogs but especially puppies want to please their owner. Show your puppy you're happy when they do their business where you want and when you want. Praise always goes farther than punishment.
8. Keep puppies close to you whenever possible. Maybe this means a second crate for confinement in your bedroom but it will help with your dogs bonding to you and keep them safe. It will also allow them to make a racket when they need to go outside during the night.
9. Learn your dogs bathroom habits. While many dogs have common things they do when looking for just the right place to go potty, house training needs you to watch for those telltale signs that a bathroom break is needed. This may be sniffing around where they don't usually hang out in the room, going in circles, etc. Your job is to know these signs so you can take your puppies out before they have an accident and so you can praise them when they go outside!

These are the critical Potty Training for Puppies Tips that should be memorized and kept close for an effective crate trained, and house trained dog. For more on how Potty Training Puppies can be fun, you don't want to miss these very important pointers!