House training is one of the easiest things to teach a dog because dogs are clean by nature and don’t like to soil their den area. Always supervise your puppy when he/she is not in their den-kennel environment. The biggest reason for failure is the puppy is given more freedom than they are capable of handling, and mistakes are bound to happen.

The crate or kennel is the best tool to aid in the potty training process. If your puppy or dog is already secure in this “den” environment, it will definitely speed up the entire process. As the puppy is let out of the crate, take her out on a leash to the spot you will want her to eliminate. If she goes, lavish on the praise – “Good girl!”, “Good Potty”, and immediately return to the house. If she doesn’t go, return her to the crate and try again in 15 minutes or so. Continue with this cycle to develop a routine. Dogs are creatures of habit! Remember, a 9-week old puppy does not have a lot of bladder control. A good rule of thumb for me always has been no more than 2 hours of kennel, rest or play time for every month of age. In other words, 8-10 week old pups should have a potty break every 2 hours, 10-12 weeks, every 3 hours, etc. Good bladder and bowel control is generally not developed until 16 weeks of age. Much like a baby in diapers, when a puppy has to go, it has to go!

Use a cue word or phrase the first time you take your puppy out to eliminate, such as “hurry up” or “go potty”.  Once the deed is complete, lavish on the praise – “Good Potty”! Reward the action with a treat, play time or some lovin’!  Your puppy will learn to associate the cue words with the action. Later when traveling or out in public, it can be a cue word to get your dog to relieve himself in quick time when necessary.