There are many people who mistakenly think that puppies are just little dogs. Nothing could be farther from the truth however. Puppies should be considered more like babies than dogs given that they have not matured enough in size and internal bodily functions.

The idea of having an eight-week-old puppy that's completely housetrained is a great idea, reality and a puppies physiology are both working against you. These baby dogs have simply not developed bladders that are able to hold their urine for more than about two hours. It isn't until a puppy is at least 10 weeks and closer to 12 weeks old that they are able to control urination longer than just a few hours.

So one of the more popular questions on forms and other question and answer type sites is how long does it actually take to housetrain a puppy. The answer of course, depends on many factors with the animals' age being one major consideration.

While there may be frustration in attempting to housetrain a puppy a little early, a strong commitment from you to the task is more likely to result in success than simply waiting and not making any effort at all. This is because another issue that determines how long it takes to housetrain a puppy is the need to unlearn bad behaviors that have been picked up before coming to your home.

Many pet shop animals and those from backyard breeders are kept in small cages that encourage the dogs and puppies to relieve themselves in the same general area where they eat and sleep. This is a very bad habit that actually goes against the preference of dogs to have a clean den like area for sleeping.

Crate training is an excellent way of keeping control of your puppy while he's in your home. By confining your pet to a crate, you limit the potential for accidents, which can develop into bad habits. The last thing you want is for your puppy to find a nice place on your expensive wall to wall carpet to use as a bathroom.

The way to limit this from happening is to always keep an eye on your puppy when they're roaming around your home. Watch for your pet signs that they are looking to go to the bathroom. These signs may include sniffing around in out-of-the-way corners, doing a "test squat" or turning around in circles. When you see these signs it's important to take your dog out immediately. Your goal is No accidents.

Should an accident occur however, immediately and completely clean it up while keeping your mouth shut. It does absolutely no good to yell or get upset with your pet because you were the ones that allow that to happen. A puppy can find a place to go squat and urinate in about five seconds. Remember that you were supposed to watch them when they were out of their crate.

By carefully following crate training methods, it's common to see real house training progress in just a few days. Once your pet understands what you want them to do and where you want them to do it, you're well on your way to a completely housetrained new best friend.