Until the puppy is three to four months old, he has little bowel or bladder control. If you follow these guidelines you can expect to limit the number of accidents.
• Remember, most accidents happen by allowing too much freedom, too soon. Confine the puppy to the one or two rooms in the house where the family spends the most time.
• Crate the puppy when you can't supervise him.
• Have regularly scheduled feeding times.
• Take your new puppy outside first thing in the morning, after naps and meals, and before you go to bed.
• Reward your puppy for eliminating outside. In order to give him immediate praise, you should go outside with your puppy.
• Never punish or reprimand a puppy who has had an accident.
• Instead, find ways to prevent your puppy from ever having the need to eliminate indoors.
• Don't wait for your puppy to signal to you that he wants to go out. Most puppies will not learn to signal their need until they first learn to "hold" in the house. Take them out on a regular schedule.
