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Everyone in the household is excited to get a new puppy. A few days later, everyone is frustrated that their new puppy isn't potty trained and is soiling the floors. 

House training your puppy is about everyone in your household having consistency, patience and positive reinforcement. The goal is to teach your puppy good habits and build a bond with them. The old tricks of sticking their nose in their waste is not a good habit or a positive way to train them good behavior. Here are a few steps to make that transition easy on you and most importantly your puppy. 

1. Never free feed your puppy. Keep them on a regular feeding schedule.  Always potty them immediately after they eat.
2. Take your puppy out first thing in the morning, before anything else is done.  
3. Take your puppy out every 30-45 minutes to the same spot throughout the day. 
4. Before you put your puppy to bed at night, make sure you take them out to the same spot you have been using.
5. Always reward your puppy for going to the bathroom. Give him/her a small treat for this good behavior. A small walk around the neighborhood or a little exercise is always a good reward as well.
6. Learn the signs that your puppy has to go to the bathroom. Teach everyone in your household those signs. Usually puppies start to look around the house, sniffing and spinning. This is a good sign they are about to go.
7. A crate can be a good idea to train a puppy. It allows you to keep an eye on him for the signs we mentioned above and teach him to hold it until you let him/her out to go relieve themselves.  
8. A proper size crate is important here. It should be big enough for your dog to stand, turn and lay down in. If the crate is too small the puppy will not be comfortable however if the crate is too big it can teach them they can relieve themselves in it. If your puppy is consistently using his/her crate as a bathroom, stop with the crate training. We do not want to teach this behavior. 
9. Setbacks happen when training a puppy to potty outside. Keeping your cool is important here. When your puppy does have an accident, keep on training. 
   
   
   
10. Keep in mind, different types of dogs have different size bladders. It can take up to a year old to have a dog fully potty trained.  
11. Most importantly enjoy your puppy and set a good foundation of good behavior at this important developmental age.  

Need help choosing the best crate size for your puppy? Our reps are always happy to help! You can talk to us through our live chat or feel free to call or text 208-908-0118. See all crate sizes here.

Written by Ed Thomason.