Plan on a year or more to complete the housetraining process. Although your puppy may be flawless for days, weeks, or months, any puppy can backslide under certain conditions. Seemingly benign events such as the following can cause housetraining regression:

• Changes in diet can upset the digestive system.

• Weather changes (too hot, cold, or wet, or noisy-such as thunderstorms) can make potty outings unproductive.

• New environments (vacation homes, new house, or friend's house) may be treated as an extension of his potty area.

• Some medications (like allergy medications) and certain conditions (like hormone changes associated with estrus) can cause more frequent elimination.

To keep track of your pup's housetraining progress, fill out the following chart during the first 12 weeks of housetraining. For each week, mark down the dates, the number of accidents (if any), and any notes about your dog's progress.

These notes might include how your dog is reacting to the training, the areas where he has made the most improvement, or advice for the next family member scheduled to work on training. Make a copy of the chart and post it somewhere visible where the whole family can contribute and refer to it.