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Everyone gets excited about getting a puppy. However very few people think about some of the responsibilities that also come with a puppy. One of the most important issues is potty training puppies. One of the main reasons dogs end up in shelters is because of messing in the house. This isn’t the dog’s fault – its the owner’s. This is one of the reasons its so important to potty train your puppy and get it right the first time. And here are some tips to help.

* You’ll need to take your puppy outside right after he eats, sleep and plays. Most puppies will need to go to the bathroom after each of these activities. Its also important that you do this every time. If your puppy doesn’t go right away it doesn’t mean he doesn’t need to relieve himself and you can take him out again later. It just means the urge hasn’t struck or he’s distracted. Take him back inside and try again in about 10-15 minutes.

* Make a schedule for when you need to take your puppy out and stick to it. If you need to write it down, go ahead. Make sure everyone involved in training your puppy knows the schedule and sticks to it. Consistency is very important when potty training puppies.

* Set aside an area for your puppy to use for his business. You then need to take him to the same place every time so your puppy learns where his potty area is. Also, your puppy will be able to smell where he went previously and be more inclined to use that area again. This will also help speed up the training.

* Decide on a command or verbal cue you want to use to tell your puppy its time to go to the bathroom. You’ll use this command for the rest of his life so make sure its something appropriate! You don’t want to give your dog an off color command if others are around! “Go potty” or something along those lines works well. Use the command as soon as your puppy starts to go to the bathroom and keep repeating it until he’s done. Your puppy will soon learn you give this command when you want him to relieve himself.

* When your puppy does what you want him to, praise him! Give him a good pat or a small treat while telling him how good he is. Do this as soon as he finishes so he knows exactly what made you so happy.

* Never punish your puppy by yelling or “rubbing his nose in it” when he has an accident. If your puppy had an accident, you need to accept that you missed something and it’s your fault. Its an unfortunate wives tale that you need to rub their nose in their mess. This will just teach your dog to be weary of you. In addition, your dog may learn to eat his own feces, which isn’t pleasant for anyone.

These are just a few suggestions to help you get starting potty training puppies. The 2 most important things are consistency and praising your puppy when he’s done well. There are several other things you need to learn, so definitely start studying before getting your puppy. Successfully house training puppies is not hard at all if you know what you’re doing!