Most puppies leave their litter to enter their new home at about two months of age. At this age, the pups eat and drink a lot, and have limited ability to control their elimination, and no comprehension that that might be important.

Feeding and potty times should be adjusted to help puppy reach his potential in the housetraining department as quickly as possible. At two to four months of age most pups need to relieve themselves after waking up, eating, playing, sleeping, and drinking — perhaps as often as every 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the type and amount of activity. At four months, the puppy may be developed like an adult internally, but expect him to behave like a puppy.

To housetrain effectively, you need to establish a schedule that works for your family and will help your puppy learn the rules quickly. You will be amazed at how quickly your puppy learns if you stick to a schedule that has fixed times for eating, sleeping and exercising. Now is a good time to review sample schedules and prepare one that will work for you.