Potty training puppies is an awkward stage that all dogs and dog owners must go through.

Imagine trying to communicate your toileting goals to a young child who doesn’t speak English. It can be difficult.

One of the tricky things about potty training is that once your dog starts having accidents in the house, he may have a tendency to return to the same place (the crime scene) to relieve himself over and over again.

Odors from your urine and feces can penetrate the carpet and padding under the rug, sending you signals that this is your bathroom.

For that reason, it’s very important to clean the area thoroughly with an odor-neutralizing product (purchase at your local pet store), in addition to implementing a solid course of potty training the puppy from the first day he comes home .

I recommend that you don’t do what a lot of people do, which is post newspapers or “puppy pads” for your dog to relieve himself in.

Although it is a pain to take your dog out every few hours, in the long run it will be easier to anticipate his needs and meet them for a few months, than to have the poorly trained dog in the house for years to come. .

Young puppies cannot hold their bladders for very long. You should anticipate 1 hour for each month of age. For example, a 2 month old puppy will need to go outside every 2 hours.

Plan to take him out often, especially after he wakes up from a nap or meal, or has been actively playing.

If you’re away at work during the day and can’t get it out, consider coming home from work at lunchtime or asking a neighbor to walk their dog in the middle of the day. It will really help him recognize the need to get out.