Q: How do I toilet-train my eight-week-old puppy?
A: Puppies have the tiniest bladders, so, of course, they regularly have to empty them. Similarly, they also haven’t learned to control their bowels, so accidents can happen regularly.
If your puppy makes a mistake, never scold him. This could create a fearful puppy who wees and poos when you are not around or hides and does it anyway.
The best method is to be there when your puppy gets it right and reward him; this means regular garden trips. Allow him into the garden once every hour and wait patiently. If he wees or poos, give him calm praise during the act and treat him directly afterwards. You must be out there with him to deliver this praise and reward. This reinforces the correct behaviour, meaning he is more likely to get it right the next time.
At night, his toilet habits won’t be quite as frequent (thankfully). However, you can leave a puppy pad near his sleeping area should he wake up and need to go.
If there is an accident and he messes in the house, take him calmly to the garden and if he continues out there, give calm praise and reward.
Essentially, you want to give your puppy the greatest chance of getting it right and getting rewarded for doing so. As he gets older, you can space the trips to the garden further and further apart.
