Everything you need to housetrain your dog is included in the Puppy Go Potty™ training system:

The Puppy Go Potty™™ system is the first complete house-training system of its kind. It will help you with the most challenging task of owning a puppy-house-training.

Training dogs to use a litter box requires substantially more owner participation than housebreaking cats. Because of this you may need to adjust your schedule for the first few weeks to meet the needs of your puppy. Your investment of time in the early stages of the process will be rewarded in a substantially reduced training time and less frustration for both you and your pet.

As a general rule, a dog will not soil the area it sleeps in. Therefore, successful housebreaking begins by restricting your puppy to one small room or part of a room. Using Puppy Go Potty™™ litter is consistent with crate training- one location for sleeping, and the other for elimination.

Providing an area that is too large will allow your puppy to relieve himself at one end and sleep in the other. A metal playpen (available at most pet stores) or an expandable child safety gate can be helpful in defining the puppy training area. The training area should be just big enough to contain the Puppy Go

Potty™ tray, a dog crate or other designated sleeping area and a small space for toys, food, and water. Once the tray is properly positioned, fill it with approximately two inches of dog litter.

Helpful Hint:
If you must confine your puppy to a carpeted area, lay a durable plastic tarp under the entire training area to minimize damage to your carpet as your puppy is learning.

Gently place your puppy in the tray. Pet your puppy and in a soft, positive tone say, "Go Potty". If he immediately gets out without going "potty", place him back in the tray. Do this several times while providing praise and encouragement. Over the next several weeks, continue to repeat this action until your puppy is regularly using the tray. It is not uncommon for puppies to chew or even eat small amounts of litter. The litter is all natural and will not harm your pet, however you should discourage this behavior as you would with any other item you don't want your pet to chew.

Helpful Hint:
Some dogs respond well to treats. Try rewarding your dog with a treat after he has successfully used the tray. If your dog responds favorably to the rewards, you can continue to use them. They should be slowly tapered off once the puppy is regularly using the system.

Even though Puppy Go Potty™ litter has been treated with an attractant that aids in the training process, the first few "successful" uses of the tray most often occur because the puppy was placed in the tray at a time that it needed to relieve itself. It is only through repetition and positive reinforcement that the puppy begins to understand the connection between potty and the tray.

To expedite this connection, it is important to establish a regular feeding and watering schedule. Your veterinarian can help you determine an appropriate feeding plan. By monitoring the feeding and watering you can quickly become attuned to your puppy's potty frequency and behavior.

This will help you know the most likely times to place the puppy in the tray.

Water is extremely important to your puppy's health. However, the more your puppy drinks, the more often he will go potty. Try to eliminate unnoticed drinking as much as possible until the puppy begins to use the box without your assistance. Depending on its potty habits, you may need to actually remove the water dish from the pet area whenever the puppy must be left unattended for any length of time during the first few days of training.

The average puppy will relieve itself up to twelve times a day. Generally a puppy will need to relieve himself fifteen to thirty minutes after eating, drinking, or taking a nap. Take advantage of these natural opportunities to reinforce the use of the system by watching for the following pre-potty signs:

If you observe any of these signs, place your puppy immediately in the tray and say "Go Potty" as in Step 2.

Helpful Hint:
One of the most common errors in house-training is trying to rush ahead too quickly. Too much freedom can cause confusion for the puppy. If your dog experiences an accident or two you should back up and slow down.

Be careful not to confuse "marking" with accidents. Marking is a deliberate behavior by dogs who are trying to vie for "leadership" in the household. It is his way of claiming territory. If you notice this behavior indoors or out, you should strengthen your obedience commands immediately to remove all doubt as to who is in charge.

Depending on your schedule, you may not have the opportunity to witness all your puppy's potty activities. Proper responses to your puppy's actions will help in the house-training process. The following situations are accompanied by proper responses.

Your puppy uses the tray in your presence.
Appropriate Response: Lots of praise and, if desired, a reward

Your puppy relieves himself outside of the tray while you are in the room.
Appropriate Responses:

When you come home there is evidence that he has used the tray in your absence.
Appropriate Response:

You come home to an accident.
Appropriate Response:

Helpful Hints:
The scented puppy litter is designed to attract your puppy, but nothing works better than his own urine scent! If your dog urinates outside the tray, use a handful of litter to soak up some of the urine and mix it in the tray.

Your dog sneaks off to another room and has an accident.
Appropriate Response:

Helpful Hint:
Never hit your dog! This will do more harm than good and can prolong any training process.

Once your puppy is using its tray on a regular basis, you can start to move the tray to its final "potty" location. As a general rule, move the tray three to four feet closer to your puppy's final potty location every three to four days.

Apartment or Condominium:
If you are living in an apartment, and have a small dog, you may prefer the convenience of an indoor "potty location". Puppy Go Potty™ plastic trays are ideal for extended use. Inquire about them at the store where you bought your original Puppy Go Potty starter kit. The tray can be moved to your terrace or balcony if you prefer. It is important, however, to protect it from the weather as much as possible when using it outside.

Outside:
If it is your desire to ultimately have your pet potty outside, you have two options:

Helpful Hint
When you change the litter, always take a small portion of the soiled litter and mix it in with the fresh litter. Your pet's scent will serve as an added "potty" reminder.

Helpful Hint:
Never hit your dog! This will do more harm than good and can prolong any training process.

Transitioning adult dogs older than six months to the Puppy Go Potty™ system, may provide some unique challenges. Dogs can be extremely finicky when faced with a change in routine, particularly relating to "potty" practices. Patience, consistency and a thorough knowledge of your dog's existing potty habits are important keys to modifying his behavior.

First, familiarize your dog with the tray. Place the tray in the same location as the paper or pad has been with the paper or pad inside the tray. Next time you sense your dog needs to relieve himself, place him in the tray. Provide lots of praise and encouragement.

If he doesn't go potty right away, keep a close eye on him for the next five or ten minutes. Watch for "pre-potty" signs, i.e.: circling, sniffing, squatting, etc. If any of signs are noticed, place him back in the tray. You may need to repeat this numerous times before he learns that this is his new place to go potty. Be sure to provide lots of praise each time he does use the tray appropriately.

As the dog becomes accustomed to the tray, add a couple of handfuls of litter. If the dog responds positively, gradually add more litter each day until the tray contains approximately two inches of litter.

If your dog has already selected an area of the carpet as their indoor potty location, you may want to consider replacing the carpet (and padding) in that spot before you try to transition them to the Puppy Go Potty™ system. Urine does not stop at the carpet but works its way deep into the padding where even a normally effective stain and odor remover will be unable to mask the dog's scent. The dog has an exceptionally keen sense of smell and will usually return to relieve itself in the same location.

If it is not possible to replace the soiled carpet, another option is to place the tray directly on top of the soiled area. For the next couple of weeks the dog should be watched very closely. As soon as signs of potty are noticed the dog should be placed in the tray and training should proceed as outlined in the previous sections.

Try actually walking your dog to the tray on the leash. This familiar action may help the dog understand that it is time to go potty. Once again, patience, praise and repetition are the keys to transitioning your adult dog to the Puppy Go Potty™ system.

Dealing with common training problems
Your dog has its own unique personality. Even when you're following the training guidelines exactly, you may encounter some undesired behavior by your pet during the training process. The following are some of the most common problems.

Your puppy repeatedly goes potty in the same undesired location
Your puppy is attracted to his "potty scent". First, make certain the spot as been thoroughly cleaned (products for this purpose can be purchased at your local pet store). If the problem persists, place the tray directly over the spot. Once your puppy is using the tray consistently, begin to move it back toward the desired location, a few feet every couple of days.

You are finding "potty" mistakes throughout the house
You are most likely providing your puppy with too much freedom. Any puppy less than six months old should be supervised or confined to a small area until they are using the tray on a consistent basis.

Isolation and supervision will keep mistakes to a minimum.

Your puppy is eating or chewing the dog litter.
Don't be alarmed! It is a puppy's nature to chew just about anything, so we took this into consideration when we designed the litter. The litter is all natural and won't harm him if he swallows a little bit. We do, however, suggest that you discourage him from this behavior. Firmly say "no" while using your finger to remove as much of the litter from their mouth as possible.

Your puppy is kicking litter out of the tray
Be patient! Some breeds like to play or even sleep in the litter at the beginning. If you catch them in the act, try to discourage the behavior. It may take a little time, but once your puppy begins to associate the tray as its potty location, this behavior should stop or be significantly minimized.

Your puppy is tracking litter through the house
Although the Puppy Go Potty nuggets are specifically designed to minimize tracking, it may still be a problem with individual dogs. If you are experiencing difficulties we suggest that you place a section of indoor/outdoor carpeting under the entry of the tray. The texture of the carpet should catch most of the litter as the dog exits the tray.