Start by establishing a regular potty routine.
Take your puppy out to the same spot in your yard immediately after eating, drinking, sleeping, playing, or any other activities. Make sure to set a specific time of day for potty breaks that you and your puppy can stick to. You can also use a bell or a specific command to signal that it’s time to go potty.
Give your puppy plenty of praise and treats when they go potty in the right spot. Make sure to give your puppy a reward immediately after they go potty in the right place so that they can learn to associate the two behaviors.
Take your puppy out frequently to the same spot during the day. Make sure to keep tabs on how much your puppy eats and drinks in order to anticipate when they may need to go out to go potty.
For nighttime, you can either keep your puppy in a crate or train them to “hold it” until they are able to be taken out first thing in the morning. If you’re crate training, make sure to take your puppy out for potty breaks before bed and during the night if necessary.
Clean up any accidents immediately and thoroughly. Make sure to use an enzymatic cleaner that will remove the smell of urine and feces to discourage your puppy from going in the same spot again.
If your puppy has an accident in the house, do not scold them. Instead, take your puppy to the spot in your yard where you want them to go and use a positive command to encourage them to go there. Make sure to praise your puppy when they go in the right spot and ignore them when they go in the wrong spot.
Be consistent with your training and be patient. It will take some time for your puppy to learn the routine. Don’t get discouraged if it takes longer than you expect, as puppies can be slow learners. Make sure to stay consistent with your commands and rewards so that your puppy can learn what is expected of them.
