Potty Training a Puppy Outside

What to Expect

• Your puppy, like a human infant, comes into this world not knowing how to exercise bladder or bowel control. Since you can't literally "potty-train" your puppy, you will have to get a jump-start on house-training him--the first day you bring him home.
  
  

What to Do When You Are at Home

• When you are home, take your puppy outside as much as possible to "do his business." Chances are, he is eating and drinking a lot because he is rapidly growing. That means he will also relieve himself a lot. Make sure to take him frequently outside to get him used to the idea of relieving himself outside, not inside.
  
  

What to Do When You Are Not at Home

• Of course, you can't be with your new puppy at all hours of the day and night. When you leave the house, confine your puppy to a small room lined with newspapers. Make sure to leave him food and water while you're gone. When you come home, toss out the newspapers he has used and let him outside again.
  
  

Developing Your Puppy's Habits

• More often than not, your puppy will choose a space both outdoors and indoors he likes to use for relieving himself. You will find that your puppy has a newspaper he prefers to use when indoors. If this newspaper is in a place you don't want, slowly move the newspaper each day to your chosen area. Do this slowly, because the puppy may revert to using the former area.
  
  

The Importance of Rewards

• When your puppy manages to go outside, immediately reward him with verbal praise and a small treat. Do this also when he relieves himself on your chosen newspaper. Remember, if he ever veers off-course, do not be angry with him because this will only confuse him.
  
  

What to Do Later On

• When you're at home and can't keep an eye on your puppy, let your puppy out of the room only when you know his bladder and bowels are empty. Give him access to only one room outside of his newspaper room so he can easily to his newspaper if need be. Progressively give him access to more rooms if he continues to use his newspaper.
  
  

Above All, Be Patient

• It can take a puppy up to a year to be fully house-broken. You will have to be patient with him, because he will make quite a few messes on the way. Stick to the newspaper routine when you are not home, and remember to heap him with praise when he manages to hold his bladder until he goes outside.