After taking your new puppy to the animal hospital for a health checkup, you’ll want to housetrain them to prevent accidents in your home. Establishing a routine they can stick to requires dedication and strategy on your part. To help you accomplish this, here are a few tips for teaching your new furry friend to use the bathroom outdoors.

How to Potty-Train a Puppy

1. Establish a Command & Reward System

You’ll first want your puppy to know that they should go to the bathroom when they’re outside. Say a phrase like “potty time” and take them out of the home. Once they relieve themselves on the lawn, shower them with affection and provide treats for positive reinforcement.

Should they go in the house by accident, pick them up, take them outside, and say “potty time” again so they understand that that’s where the action should take place.

2. Stick to a Schedule

To keep bathroom habits simple for them to understand, establish a routine. Take them outside at the same time every day. This could be immediately after you wake up, when you come home from work, before bed, or a combination of these. You should also feed them at the same time to help them digest and need to use the bathroom on a regular schedule.

3. Use a Crate

Puppies have small bladders, so accidents will happen. To prevent puddles on your flooring or carpet, you can use a crate when you aren’t home. Your puppy may not like going in the crate, so you can make it more inviting by adding their favorite toys and blankets in the space. Puppies under six months should only stay in for up to four hours, so make sure there’s someone around who can let them out periodically.

Serving Sawyer County, WI, for over 30 years, Hayward Animal Hospital has offered a wide scope of services for pets. This animal hospital diagnoses conditions and provides dentistry and orthopedics. They also have a pet boarding facility. Call (715) 634-8971 to schedule an exam for your new pet, or visit their website to learn more about this animal hospital’s services.