How to potty train your dog is a very common question that many new dog owners have when they first get the furry little friend home. There are a number of steps involved in potty training a new dog and some are more important than others, but they all should be considered when you go through your routine of getting your dog trained.

The first and most important strategy for potty training your dog is to develop a plan and stick with it. It's very important that you remain consistent in your potty training efforts, no matter what those might include. If you are consistent, your dog will also begin to develop a consistency with regard to when he or she has to go outside. Example, if you take your dog out once an hour, then he will begin to sense the time when it will be time to go outside, and he will also begin to associate going potty with going to the bathroom.

Another tip on how to potty train your dog is to reward good behavior, not discipline bad behavior. You could reward him or her with a treat, toy, or other types of dog supplies for portraying good behavior. Positive reinforcement for proper behavior is always more affective than the other option. One reason that positive reinforcement is always better than disciplining your dog for bad behavior is that dogs feed off of positive human attention, and when they begin to see that doing things that make you happy, will also benefit them in the long run because they too are rewarded.

Finally, if you wish to be successful in potty training your dog, then you'll have to learn to be patient with the process as it takes time to potty train your dog. Remember that when your dog is just a puppy, he'll have a hardy time controlling his bodily functions because they are smaller and still in training mode, so you'll want to take him out more often. As your dog grows, he will be able to hold it longer and longer. Once you've got the routine down and your dog is successful at becoming potty trained, you'll be much happier and satisfied that you stuck with it.