Puppy potty training seems to be at the top of most puppy owners list of “how to” questions and it appears to be a major stumbling block.  Yet I know the steps to achieve success are very straight forward and basic.

Over this weekend I was again asked by frustrated puppy owners for advice and direction.

The owners thought they were following my ten simple rules for housebreaking a puppy but realized they must be doing something wrong afterall.  But what!

After questioning them at length I discovered they were missing only part of one of the potty training rules.  It was that simple!

The potty training had been going along just fine for a couple of months.  Now the owners expected their puppy to go potty quickly, especially when the weather was bad.  When their puppy didn’t they became impatient and spoke sharply to the puppy.

When asked to describe their puppy’s reaction to their own negative behavior they said their puppy had developed the habit of walking in a small circle, stopping and staring at them while taking on a submissive posture.

You can see where this is going!

Unknowningly the owners caused the situation and with time compounded the problem.

The more uptight the owners got, the more submissive their puppy became and the longer their puppy took to potty and at times would not go at all.  The result was a nervous puppy reluctant to potty in front of the owners.  Accidents then started occurring in their house.

In this case the solution is to just simply and ALWAYS remain calm, relaxed and moderate your voice when taking your puppy outside to go potty.  Then praise when they do right.

Puppies and dogs are experts at reading body language.  This enables a canine to survive in a pack.  If their human pack leader is displaying what a puppy would interpret as aggression through voice and posture then of course the puppy will not be relaxed enough to do their business.

Stay calm and consistant.  Your puppy will be going potty quickly and on command.

The importance of voice and body language when communicating with your puppy is explained further in my puppy training ebook.

If you would like to learn the Ten Simple Rules for Effectively Housebreaking Your Puppy then be sure to check out “Puppy Training Secrets Revealed.”

Louise Baldock