How to Train Your Dog: Playful Puppy Potty Training Tips

Cats are no problem. You feed them, leave out some litter, and throw them in after they eat. Simple stuff. To Train your dog? That’s a lot more difficult. Puppies are quick learners, of habits both good and bad. So the first thing you want to be sure of is instilling the right behaviors in your dog, and keeping consistent throughout their first year. Habits learned during puppy-hood will stick in their minds during their entire lifetimes, making it of paramount importance to set your routine how you want it immediately.

Everyone Hates Wet Socks


First thing’s first: Potty training. There is nothing more irritating than coming home from a tough day’s work, taking off your shoes, and getting your socks wet and yellow as you stride over to your couch. It’s even worse if you’re walking on a Persian carpet at the moment of sock-soiling.  To avoid this you’ll have to be diligent at first and consistent thereafter. House training a puppy takes time and patience. You’ll more than likely be ready to throttle your pup after the third day, but resist the urge. Remember that any mistakes are part of the learning process. Get used to them.






Be Consistent! Start to train your dog by getting on a schedule as soon as possible. Take the playful puppy out as soon as he wakes up, again after his morning meal, and frequently ever after. A good rule of thumb goes by age: for every month they’ve been alive, that’s an hour they can hold their bladder. So if you have a three month old puppy, then you should be able to wait three hours between potty breaks.
When you take your playful puppy out train your dog using a consistent buzz word to remind them what they are doing. Tell them to “Go potty,” or some other equivalent command.  The important thing is you use that same consistent command that they understand and associate with the action. After they’ve finished their business, you must praise them liberally so that they know they’ve pleased you. This method will work better with some breeds than others. You may want to go as far as giving them a treat whenever they’ve relieved themselves properly.

Train Your Dog Forever!

After a few successful runs, you will notice accidents becoming far less frequent. Dogs will pick up on
what’s expected of them fairly quickly when the circumstances surrounding the rules remain constant. This is good, but don’t let up! Train your dog with regularity, because backsliding has been known to occur, and accidents are inevitable. Your Playful Puppy will make mistakes, and you must be patient. Tell them “no” When they piddle indoors, but don’t make a big deal out of it. They will start getting scared to make water in front of you and that will be a real problem come walky time.

That’s the long and short of it. Remember consistency and vigilance are the key. Keep an eye out and a leash ready!