Get to Know Your Puppy's Routine:
Every dog (like every human) has his own unique “schedule”. This guideline will help you determine your puppy’s routine and assist you though the often challenging phase of potty training.

Urination Basics:
Puppies need to urinate immediately upon waking up, after they have been playing hard for 10 or 15 minutes, and before bedtime. Puppies under 4 months of age need to eliminate often. This generally means at least once during the night as well as every two hours while awake.

Elimination Basics:
Housetraining is easier if you feed scheduled meals rather than free-feed. If you know when food goes in, it's easier to know when it will come out. Puppies usually eliminate 15 - 20 minutes after they eat and again 3 - 4 hours after they eat.

Based on your puppy's "schedule”, if you feel it is time for him to eliminate, take him into the yard on a leash, or watch him closely. When he does potty, praise him for his good deed.

Young dogs are easily distracted:
Just because he was in the yard doesn't mean he remembered to eliminate. If your puppy doesn't eliminate, he needs to be crated or physically attached to you until you take him out to try again. This keeps him from wandering off to eliminate in the house. If he is allowed to wander off, he will often choose an area away from the family or a part of the house that he is not regularly "allowed" in. In the dog world, choosing areas away from you is reasonable and polite.

Eliminate all Evidence:
Using a high quality enzyme cleaning solution like Anti-Icky Poo (we keep a hefty stock of this wonderful inexpensive stuff in all our local offices) after an "accident" eliminates all bacteria that can attract a puppy (or other pets) to that same area for a repeat offense. We recommend you keep a supply of this on hand until your puppy is completely trained.

Invisible Fence® Brand Puppy Solutions:
Many of our customers find the use of  Invisible Fence® Brand Indoor Solutions a successful, easy way to confine their puppy to a smaller area of the house until he is fully potty trained. Indoor solutions are often combined with crate training to give a puppy a "safe" space to run and play when he is not crated.

Until a dog is 9-12 months old, he may not be able to “hold it" for long periods so he often doesn't realize he has to eliminate until it's urgent. It is important to respond quickly when your puppy cues you to go out, so keeping him confined in a smaller area of the house or in a crate near you can help him understand he needs your help to potty.

Teaching your puppy to "cue" you to go out is essential. Cueing might be reinforced by teaching your puppy to ring "potty door bells" or by teaching him to come to you and ask for help. Invisible Fence Northwest senior trainers are adept in helping you incorporate potty cues into your overall puppy solutions.

When the 'Going' Gets Easy:
Our customers tell us that after we trained their puppy on an Invisible Fence® Brand Outdoor Solution so he could go outside safely, letting him out to potty became as simple as opening a door after their puppy cued them (no more searching for the leash or standing outside in the rain waiting for their puppy to find the "right spot"). 
Potty training challenges disappeared as their puppy learned that going outside was fun. Practice made perfect.

Patience & Encouragement:
Animal behavior experts caution against scolding or punishing your puppy for potty mishaps. This approach will only make matters worse as your puppy will start hiding from you instead of coming to you for help. 

Patience, encouragement, and constructive support are your best teaching aides. If you feel you need professional assistance, we encourage your to visit our Pet Resources Page and contact a dog behavior specialist. Having the support of a local professional to coach you through the critical puppy stage is a wise investment in your new relationship.