Training your puppy is about patience, consistency and positive reinforcement. The main goal is to instill good habits and build a loving bond between you and your pet. Also keep in mind that you will only succeed in training your puppy if you don’t give up on training them despite the setbacks. Continue with your management program that includes taking your puppy out at the first sign he needs to go and offering him rewards, your puppy will soon learn. There are also five keys concepts to teach your puppy:

1. Teach your puppy where you want him to go potty.
2. Teach your puppy where you do not want him to go potty.
3. Teach your puppy to “hold it” when he doesn’t have access to the potty area.
4. Teach your puppy how to tell you when he needs to go potty.
5. Teach your puppy a phrase or word to go potty when you need him to.

Below are some guides to help you in potty training your puppy.

Regular Feeding Schedule
Keep your puppy on a schedule and take your puppy outside after meal. Remove any uneaten food after 20 minutes and do not offer your puppy more food until the next scheduled meal. If your puppy eats all day, he will need to go at unpredictable times. Keeping a feeding schedule allows you to predict when your puppy needs to eliminate. 

Give your puppy a special dog treat
Keep your dog treats handy every single time you take your puppy out. Make sure you give him only high-quality dog treats. 

Clean up just a little
Did you know that dogs are attracted to return to spots where they urinated or defecated previously? Yes! And since dogs are attracted to go in the same place over and over again, why not use it for your own advantage? If you clean up their mess just a little, your dog will most likely be attracted to “refresh” that spot. If you clean thoroughly though, there will be no attraction to go there again. You can also pick up any indoor “accidents” and bring them outside to the potty area. As your puppy learn where to potty, you can start cleaning their messes thoroughly right after they potty.

Supervise your dog
You can interrupt indoor “accidents” and reward outside potties by closely supervising your puppy. Take the dog out immediately if you see your puppy sniffing, squatting, circling or tail out straight. Get your puppy outside as soon as possible if he begins to poop/pee inside. You should also be outside with your puppy to praise him and give him that special dog treat when he’s done. 

Understand Normal Dog Behavior
Your puppy will not automatically understand the routine in your house or know where the door is, so you must be very patient in training your puppy. It is not instinctive for puppies to relieve themselves outside and it is only natural for them to not go where they sleep. Also make sure to not punish your puppy, never rub their nose in urine or feces for an “accident”. This will only teach them to fear you and they may hide when they need to “go”.

Schedule potty breaks
The frequency of potty breaks will depend on age, breed and previous training.  Taking your puppy out at regular, predicted intervals will also help in training your puppy. Stick to the intervals until your puppy is successful for several days, and increase the amount of time between intervals only if your puppy succeeds.

Schedule a veterinary exam
If you have been unsuccessful at potty training your puppy or if your puppy begin having “accidents”, you might want to visit your veterinarian right away. If there is any health issue, resolving it early may resolve the problem.