The wonderful, ever-loving Boxer.

Puppies need to potty quite often, so here are a few tips to help with the "not so pleasent" part of having the new little one.

A 6 - 8 week old puppy should be taken outdoors every 1 -3 hours. Older puppies can generally wait longer between outings. Most puppies should be taken out:

• After waking in the morning
• After naps
• After meals
• After playing or training
• After being left alone
• Immediately before being put to bed

Also, expect some mistakes. Left alone, the untrained puppy is very likely to make a mistake. Close supervision is a very important part of training. Do not consider your puppy housetrained until he has gone at least 4 consecutive week without eliminating in the house.  I suggest the use of baby gates and crate training. When using a crate, be sure that the crate is big enough for him to be comfortable.

When crate training here are a few tips to make it less painful on you the pet owner:

• Try using bites of kibble or treats, by tossing them into the crate and letting the puppy go in to get them, it makes it sort of a game which also makes it "fun"
• Place toys in the crate so that the puppy has to go in to get them to play with, also leave them in the crate when leaving or going to bed so that the puppy has something to keep him company.
• And lastly, don't leave your puppy in the crate for long periods of time, this is just asking for a mess when you come home, puppies can't "hold it" as long as adults and in turn with eliminate inside the crate and themselves.
• Don't expect to get a good nights sleep when beginning crate training, it will take several nights of barking and crying before the puppy realizes that he/she is supposed to go to sleep there.

Eventually, when the first 6 months is over and your baby is crate trained and house trained, you and your puppy will be happier. Good luck with your new family member!