Bringing home your new puppy can be quite a joyous event. They’re a cute bundle of fluff just full of love and zest for life. You’ll play with them and care for them. In fact, bringing home your new puppy will probably feel a bit like heaven, that is until they piddle on the carpet for the first time. Love and adoration can quickly turn to confusion and frustration if you aren’t sure how to properly train your new puppy to use the bathroom outside, instead of inside on your carpet. It isn’t your puppy’s fault they don’t know how to go outside to use the potty yet, and it’s your job to teach them. If you’re not sure where to get started, simply take a look a our tips below in order to get your pup started off on the right track.

Set a Timer

The number one thing you can do in order to insure your pup has success with housebreaking is to set a timer. Typically, a puppy can only hold it for as many hours as they are months old. So if you have a two month old puppy, don’t expect them to be able to hold it more than two hours. If your puppy is six months old, they can hold it for up to six hours. This is a general rule of thumb and larger dogs will probably have an easier time with this than smaller dogs. When the timer goes off, it’s time to take your pup outside for a potty break. You will also want to make sure they go out immediately after every meal as well in order to improve your chances of success.

Use a Leash

It doesn’t matter if you have a fenced back yard or are training your pup in an apartment complex, you will always want to grab the leash every time you take your puppy outside. You’ll also want to go with them each time as well until they get the hang of what they’re supposed to do. Take your puppy out on a leash and find a reasonable spot. You will then stay put and let the puppy sniff around the area they can reach on the leash. Tell your puppy to, “Go Potty,” in an upbeat voice. You’ll especially want to do this when they actually choose to potty in order to get them to associate the command with the action. The reason you want a leash is to help keep your puppy focused. It helps them to learn that potty time is not playtime.

Bring Treats

Also when you head outside, make sure to bring treats. Once your pup does its business, make sure to immediately reward them for doing the right thing. Give them a treat and verbal praise to reinforce where you want they to use the potty.

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