For the first few months you will be spending a lot of time outside waiting for your pup to go. Why not teach your pup to get down to business quickly. Why not spend some time and put bathroom on cue. It is rather predictable that after your puppy has been in the crate for any given period of time he will have to go. Knowing this, you can “set up” a conditioned response to a regularly used phrase to get him to go.

• Begin by coming up with a word or phrase.
• Popular words include hurry up, show me, or go potty.
• Once you have settled on what you will use as a cue (don’t forget you may end up using this cue in a public place!), then you are ready to begin.
• Every time you take your puppy outside, be sure he is on a leash, this helps keep him focused on the task at hand.
• Go to the area that is deemed the bathroom spot.
• Let the pup sniff and investigate the area.
• When you see the pup getting ready to go insert your cue. 
• Once the pup has peed or pooed, you can offer him a treat and tell him how great he is! 

Every time your puppy comes out of his crate, he should go to the bathroom spot. With consistency, you will have your pup going on cue for you in no time. This trick is especially nice for cold and rainy days and nights.

In the event that your puppy has an accident in the house forget about it and chalk it up as your mistake, not the puppy’s. Be sure and provide 100% supervision and appropriate bathroom breaks to prevent it next time. 

Clean the area well. Many cleaners mask the smell from us but not from the powerful olfactory senses of our dogs. Ask your local pet supply dealer about a good cleaner.

If accidents are the norm, not the exception you need to revisit your bathroom training plan. 

Print out a copy of our bathroom record-keeping sheet. This will help you spot the pattern and adjust where you need to. Remember, if you want to change your pup’s behavior it starts with changing your own.