Everybody has there own opinion on potty training a puppy, but this is what works for us. You will need to figure out what works for you. You might even take a few of our tips and do other things differently, which is fine. Just do what works for you. We have potty trained many puppies, and this is what works for us.

* Always take your puppy to potty after a nap. He/she will always need to potty after a nap.

* Take your puppy to potty first thing in the morning.

* Take your puppy to potty after he/she eats or drinks anything.

* If you are holding your puppy, and he/she gets restless, and starts to wiggle around, he/she likely needs to go potty.

To reduce the amount of accidents, don’t let your puppy down unsupervised until you feel you can trust that they won’t potty in the house. An 8 week old puppy will potty often. They are just like a baby at this young age. So, an 8 week old puppy shouldn’t be down in the house unsupervised unless you want to clean the floor. J A puppy’s bladder will start strengthening significantly by the age of 12 weeks and by 16 weeks you will see an even greater change. Most puppies are mostly potty trained by this age if you are very consistent with them. If your puppy potties in the house say “no, no, potty outside” in a stern voice. Then pick up your puppy and take him/her outside and say “potty outside”, even if you think your puppy finished inside. It is important to take them outside anyway so they know what they did wrong and they can make the connection.

Each time you take your puppy outside, say “potty outside” several times, or "go potty". As soon as your puppy does potty, say “good boy/girl, potty outside” several times. You can also give him/her a treat.

One common issue with potty training is taking the puppy out to go potty and the puppy doesn't go, but immediately goes potty in the floor, when back inside. It is very common for puppies to either want to be held, or play, when you take them outside to potty....instead of going potty.

If your puppy potties as soon as you come back in, that is because he/she didn't potty outside, and chose to play instead. This is very common with puppies. Kind of like a toddler....they tend to be the last one to know that they need to go potty. But this is why it is crucial to make sure he/she goes potty outside before coming back in.

This is a really common issue with young puppies, and it is also an issue with puppies of any age, when it is cold. It is very important that when you take him/her outside to potty, make sure that he/she does go potty for you.

If he/she doesn't go potty, and you are ready to go back inside, make sure you do not sit him/her down, because he/she WILL go potty in the floor. I think sometimes people tend to think that a puppy should automatically know where to potty. But they are animals, and have to be taught.

If you have this issue, our suggestion is that when you come back inside, either hold your puppy, or crate your puppy (NEVER put him/her down on the floor, because he/she will potty). Then you can try to take him/her back outside again in a few minutes. He/she will eventually go potty for you.

Just remember that he/she can't be rewarded with inside play time on the floor, until he/she goes potty for you outside. Then after you witness him/her going potty outside, praise him/her, and bring him/her back inside, and let him/her play with his/her toys for awhile, while supervising him/her.

If you are having issues with your puppy going potty in the crate, I would also make sure he/she goes potty before you crate him/her. Your puppy MUST go potty outside for you. BUT they aren't "automatic" like an on/off switch.....during the potty training phase. They don't always go when you want them to, which can be frustrating, especially when it is cold. BUT it does get better, and they do catch on fast.

Also, your puppy will give you hints that he/she is looking for a place to go potty. If your puppy is playing with his/her toys, in the floor, and he/she starts sniffing around, or spinning circles, he/she likely is looking for a place to go potty.

We recommend using crates. They are wonderful to give you a break. This is another way to reduce the amounts of accidents in your house during the potty training phase. Everyone has moments when you are busy and it really isn’t convenient to watch your new puppy as closely as need be. This is a good time to use your crate. Whether you are cooking dinner, other household chores, or just need a few minutes to relax, crates are a wonderful way to give you a break. It is a nice, warm, safe place for your puppy. In fact, most puppies grow to love their crate. It becomes their security and they think of it as their bed. Our Cavaliers LOVE their crates. They have a nice fluffy bed in it and if they have spent a lot of time outside playing with us, when they come inside, you can’t hardly get them out of their crates.

Until your puppy is fully potty trained, we recommend lining your crate with newspaper. You could also give your puppy an old towel to curl up on. We put toys in our crates that are easily cleaned (plastic toys). You should expect your puppy to potty in the crate at night unless you plan to get up several times with him/her. Now an older puppy (12-16 weeks old or older) might be able to hold it all night, depending on the puppy, but an 8 week old puppy just can’t hold it that long. This is why we suggest lining the crate with newspaper. It is easily cleaned. Some people have success with putting their puppy in a very small crate (only enough room for the puppy to lay down to sleep). The theory is that the puppy doesn’t want to potty where he/she sleeps. You could try this if you want. Like I said, some people do have success with this method. However, in our opinion, a young puppy just simply can’t hold it for hours at a time. So we prefer lining the crate with newspapers.

It is an inconvenience for awhile, but your puppy doesn’t want to potty in the crate. He/she just simply can’t hold it for very long in the beginning. After he/she gets a little older (usually by 12-16 weeks of age, if not sooner) he/she will stop going in his/her crate. There are some things you can do to help prevent accidents in their crate. One thing you will always want to do is take your puppy outside to potty just before bed time and first thing in the morning. You can also try taking your puppy outside to potty once or twice in the night in the beginning to prevent accidents in their crate. Another thing you can try is make sure you don't offer water or food close to bed time. This will help prevent accidents. Our Cavaliers scratch on the bottom of their crates when they need to potty. They would NEVER potty in their crates now.

Your puppy will probably cry at first when you put him/her in the crate. This will vary greatly from puppy to puppy, but most do take a bit of time adjusting to being alone in a crate. They are accustomed to having lots of other puppies to play with here. So it will be a bit of an adjustment. If you have a warm room that is a little ways from your bedroom, you might want to put the crate in there. This will allow you to get your sleep. Puppies are just like babies, they will try to see what they can get away with. If they cry, and you always come and get them, then they will always cry. However, if they cry and you don’t come running to get them, then they will learn to comfort themselves and they will grow to love their crate. Of course before you put your puppy in his/her crate for the night, take him/her out to potty first. This way you know that they are crying to be held and not because they need to potty. Also, if they cry first thing in the morning, chances are they probably need to potty. Of course it is also important to make sure that your puppy is okay. If you want you can walk in the room and comfort your puppy and tell him/her that it is okay, just so they know that you are still nearby. However, in general, the reason a puppy cries in a crate is simply because they want to be held.

We highly recommend crate training. Every accident that your puppy has in your house, needs to be addressed. Otherwise, it could hinder the potty training process. For this reason, we feel that it is crucial to utilize your crate, any time your aren't supervising your puppy. Your puppy should be crated when you are gone, at night, and any time you are too busy to provide the necessary supervision.

Some people prefer baby gates, over crates. They will put up a baby gate in a room with linoleum floors. Their thinking is that if their puppy potties in the floor, it is easily cleaned. But the problem is that this is very confusing to the puppy. The puppy doesn't understand why it was okay to go potty in the floor when you weren't home, but later when you are home, it isn't okay. This can significantly delay the potty training process.

So it is crucial that you utilize your crate. This will allow you to witness every accident, and address it. This will expedite the potty training process and make it a smooth one.

You could also try putting your puppy in the crate a few times during the day. This will give you a break and at the same time get your puppy accustomed to his/her crate.