When selecting how to potty train a puppy or recently adopted dog, you have two options: train them to relieve themselves outside or relieve themselves within your home on a pee pad before transitioning them to the outside.
– House training may take longer if your puppy is older than 12 weeks when you bring them home and have already developed the habit of defecating in a cage (and maybe ingesting their waste).
Puppies are still building the muscles needed to contain their eliminations before 12 weeks. It’s also a good idea to let your puppy out once he’s finished sleeping, playing, eating, or drinking.
In the short run, a crate might be helpful for house training your puppy. It will allow you to monitor them for signals they need to go and train them to hold it until you open the box and let them out.