I cover the poop with a small piece of paper so the others do not walk in it.

These pups are only 3½ weeks old and they already get the concept of housebreaking. The place where you sleep and the place where you play are not the same place you poop and pee. As a result, the owners of these pups will have an easier time housetraining their new puppy.

A brief summery of the Misty Method…

Use a whelping box with a lip for the first 2½ weeks, so ONLY the dam can get out, but the pups are contained. (Make sure the lip is low enough so the dam doesn’t have to blindly leap in, but can aim her step in, and high enough so pups do not get out and get chilled.)

For large breeds, at 2½ to 3 weeks the paper MUST be right outside the door.

For small breeds, at 3 to 3½ weeks the paper MUST be right outside the door.

At this time, the lip/door should be removed, so the pups can get out of the whelping box on their own, and find their way back in. (Kind of like removing the den door.)

THEN, you can move the potty area farther and farther away from the bed. Pups like it at opposite end.

When they are 3 to 4 weeks, they will come out of their bed and pee right away, sometimes they only get their front feet out.

After they are more mobile, you move the potty away from the bed area. I will line a litter box with paper, but not litter.

Ideally at 6 to 7 weeks old, you will have an 8 x 10′ area for small breeds or a larger area for large breeds with a bed in one corner, and food and potty at opposite sides of the pen.

Note: The stools should never be soft, and never be mushy. If they are soft or mushy (pudding-like) ask the vet for enough wormer to worm all the puppies and mom. Take a stool sample in for testing. The stool shouldn’t smell horribly bad. If the stool is not solid and it smells horrible, you want to check for stool Coccidia (coccidiosis). Loose stools also make the job of cleaning up after your pups ten times harder.

Stools should be like little chocolate bars. It is normal to have bouts of soft stool, but do not let it continue on an ongoing basis. Find out why, and get them solid again. Otherwise, they will run through it, and it becomes a real mess as they track it everywhere.

About 8, 9, 10 weeks

After about 8, 9, 10 weeks of age, or when the puppy arrives at it’s new home, the dog should be taught to go potty outside. Do not have paper or potty pads inside your home. Peeing is for outside only, or you are teaching your new pup it is okay to potty inside your home.

Take advantage of any early training the breeder hopefully has already done. Teach your pup to potty on a designated spot outdoors, making him think.

After you bring home your new puppy the first thing you need to teach the pup is to walk to the door. Do not carry it. Make the puppy walk or it will not learn to alert you.

Do not use treats when potty training as it takes the dog’s focus off of the business at hand and puts it on the food. You do not want the dog’s brain to be on food when it is time to relieve itself. This often causes a dog to not completely finish eliminating because the dog is looking and waiting for food. The dog will often come back inside the home and go to the bathroom again after just being out. Keep the focus on the task at hand. Rewards for pottying should be the relief the dog feels when it empties itself, your happiness that the dog did the right thing, along with verbal praise, a pet and/or back scratch. Dogs can feel when the humans are happy.

Do NOT use the Misty Method for older puppies. This method is only for pups 3 to 8 weeks of age who have not yet left the breeder.