Pottie Training your Dog

Potty training for dogs is probably the first kind of training that most new dog owners have questions about. After reading about or hearing about dozens of different approaches, the choices can seem confusing. But the principles behind training a dog are all basically the same.

First, you can forget about old school negative training methods. Swatting the dog with a newspaper or rubbing its nose in its feces are methods from the past that have been proven to be counter productive. They just do not work as effectively as positive training techniques, so don't use them. And don't ever use them on puppies under 8 weeks old, since they are not physically developed enough to have any control over elimination.

Positive training techniques use a system of rewards to shape the desired behavior, they are much more effective for long term motivation and will allow you to house train your dog within a couple of weeks. However, you must be willing to commit to do everything within your power to make the house training project a success for you and your dog during the training process. Don't worry, it is not difficult, it just requires patience, consistent behavior on your part and a lot of close observation of your dog for a couple of weeks.

Here's how it works. You take your dog outside to the potty area, you reward him with his favorite food treat as soon as he urinates or eliminates and you give him lots of verbal praise, too. Give him about 5 minutes of being able to sniff around the area and do his thing. If he does nothing, don't reward him, and definitely do not punish him.

Just take him back inside for about 10 to 15 minutes, and then take him back outside to try again. If he still doesn't go potty, keep taking him outside in 10 to 15 minute intervals until he finally goes potty. And be sure to verbally praise him as he's doing it and treat him immediately when he's finished.

Now your job will be to learn his body language so you can tell when he has the urge to eliminate. As soon as you see the signs, take him outside, praise him and reward him for a job well done. Within a couple of weeks, he will be seeking you to take him out so he can get his reward. And you will know his signals so you can help him be successful. With just a short time commitment, you will be a pro at potty training for dogs.