You might want to consider crate training. It's definitely not the only way, and of course nothing will eliminate accidents completely while your pup is learning, but it's very effective because it uses a dog's natural instincts to help teach them where to potty.
Cody sleeps in his crate next to our bed every night. By instinct, dogs do not want to do their business where they sleep. So Cody doesn't want to have an accident in his crate because he sleeps there every night. As soon as I wake up, I hurry up and get him outside where he can do his business and make a big fuss over what a great job he does. The same would work with potty pads if that's what you chose to do.
To help minimize accidents, we watch Cody carefully and try to keep him on a schedule. He goes for a walk first thing in the morning, about 20 minutes after breakfast, as soon as we get home from work, about 20 minutes after dinner, after we play, and last thing at night before bed. We also keep an eye on him and if it looks like he has to go at any other time, we make sure to take him outside so he has a chance to do it. Of course I think my baby is super smart, but we've never had an accident in the crate and we've now been a few days without any accidents in the house at all.
Just remember, your pup is tiny so he can't hold it for very long. After he eats, drinks, naps, or plays, he'll need to go. If he starts to sniff around or walk in circles, he may have to go. If you create more positive experiences where he goes in the right place and gets praised, he's more likely to learn what he needs to do. So it's your job to get him to his potty spot in time as often as he can. And when you both miss it? It's okay.... accidents happen. Just clean it up and try again. |