How to Toilet Train a Puppy

The quicker your puppy knows where to do its business, the happier you as the dog owner will be.  The sooner you can start toilet training your puppy, the better!

It is not hard to learn how to toilet train a puppy.  The most important thing is to stick to the schedule you set for bathroom breaks.  Here is a sample schedule.

1. At 6:00am, take the puppy from his bed, carry or lead him outside, and let him do his business.
2. Feed him 1/3 of his recommended daily food allowance. 
3. Wait 20 minutes. 
4. Take him outside and let him do his business; then strongly praise him when he has done so! 
5. Finally, place the puppy back in his bed and let him sleep while you return to your morning tasks.
6. Around 12:00pm, repeat the above steps.  Serve the puppy his second meal. 
7. Around 6:00pm, repeat the steps again. 
8. Take your puppy outside one more time before you go to bed to ensure she has a last chance to relieve herself and prevent nighttime accidents. 

It is a good idea to take your puppy for regular walks during the day.  A dog does not fully develop bladder control until six months, so a mid-day walk is very important.  

Remember that your dog's feeding schedule will greatly influence how you toilet train him.  When you control your puppy's eating times, you can coordinate when he will need to eliminate.  

Try not to leave food out at all times.  This can lead to your dog becoming overweight and make housetraining very hard.  A vet can tell you how much your puppy should eat.