There is always one important task that needs to be done after adopting your new puppy…. house training!

A puppy cannot fully be house trained until he is at least six months of age. This means that if your puppy is younger than six months you can still train him, but you will most likely have some accidents.

Remember, house training a puppy takes time. The more time you spend with your puppy and the more consistency you show the faster the results will be. All breeds are different. Smaller breeds will take longer to train because their bladder is smaller. Typically, a puppy can hold his bladder one hour for every month of age. For example, if your puppy is 4 months old, he should be able to hold his bladder for 4 hours.

Here are some tips to help you in your new adventure:

• To begin, take your puppy out to go potty every 30-45 minutes, just after playing, just after eating or drinking and just after waking.
• Always use lots of praise, never scold a young puppy for accidents. As soon as your puppy goes potty outside, give him a treat, praise him for going where he is supposed to go.
• A schedule is very important. Sticking to a consistent time when feeding, walking etc… will help you know when it’s time to take your puppy outside.
• Pick a specific spot in your yard that is okay for your puppy to go potty and take him to that spot every time. Use the same phrase when he goes so that he knows that phrase means it’s time for him to do his business.
• Eliminate water 2 1/2 hours before bedtime to help reduce the amount of times your puppy will need to get up in the middle of the night to go potty. A puppy should be able to go 7 hours at night without waking. If your puppy does wake at night do not make a fuss. Be very quiet, turn on as little lights as possible, do not talk to him, take him out and then bring him in as soon as he is finished.

Always watch for signs that it is time to go. Most likely your puppy will bark, scratch at the door, squat, be restless, sniff around or circle. If you see any of these, immediately take your puppy outside.

House training takes patience. Don’t be discouraged if there are accidents. Soon enough you and your new puppy will settle into life and these days will be a thing of the past and well worth all the effort.