Potty Trainning

Question
Our Pom is 5 months old, I crate him every night and let him do his thing in the morning on the deck. How long does it take for him to catch on and not do his puddleing in the kitchen. He was out for two hours on the deck and than when he came in he puddled.  Thanks D&J

Answer
Hi Dennis & Jazz,

You need to take a more active roll in housetraining.  Don't just let the dog out and hope he goes potty.  Go out with him (until he is trained).  Take him to the same spot every time and tell him to, "Go potty".  Praise him when he goes!

Here's a response on housetraining I wrote that you may find helpful:
It will take lots of patience and persistence.  Do not allow the puppy to have free reign in the house until he is completely trained.  When you are home keep him with
you at all times.  When you leave the house either put him in a crate (never for more than four hours at a time) or block him off in a small area (bathroom, utility room or kitchen) with a gate.  Put newspaper or puppy pads in an area for him to use.  Neutering him by five or six months of age will help, and can prevent him from developing the habit of leg lifting.  If he has an accident but you don't catch him don't scold him for it.  He won't understand what he's done wrong.  Clean up the mess completely.  Using a product like Simple Solution will remove the stain
and the odor.  If you catch him it the act, firmly say, "No" and take him outside.  Never rub his nose in it.  He can be trained to go in a particular area in your yard and to go on command.  Take him to the same spot every time and use the same command like, "Go potty".  Praise him when he goes!  Of course you'll want to take him out frequently, especially after sleeping, eating, and playing.  I was never able to use a crate for training.  My pom would go potty in it.  I blocked him off in
the kitchen and set up a dog liter box.  I didn't use dog liter but lined the box with newspaper.  Puppy pads would work as well.  I would put him in the box and say, "Go potty".  If he did, I would praise him profusely.
Sometimes I would give him a treat.  I always took him to the same spot outside too. It took approximately two
and a half months and after I had him neutered at five and a half months he was pretty much trained.  I kept him blocked off in the kitchen when I had to leave the house for about the first year.  Now, he has free reign when
I am gone.  He is liter box trained and trained to go in a specific spot in the yard.  Having him liter box trained is great for when I am gone and when the weather is bad. (Rain, snow, etc.)

Best Regards,
Carrie