Puppies, Potty Training, and Entrepreneurship.

We don’t have children, but we do have a dog. And I can recall that as I studied puppy house breaking methods, some of the language used gave me the impression that there might be similarities in potty training a human child.

Likewise, I noticed that some of the puppy language reminds me of how my business first began to develop, another form of child rearing.

I will use some text, borrowed from typical a puppy training resource, and you judge for yourself where you are able to see correlations: potty-training or new business.

• It’s normal for a young puppy to be a little “input/output” machine. Since puppies are growing and developing rapidly at this stage, they seem to need to eliminate constantly!
• Confine your puppy to a small, ‘puppy-proofed’ room and paper the entire floor. Put his bed, toys and food bowls there. (new home office).
• At first there will be no rhyme or reason to where your pup eliminates. (I’m equating this to how I developed my business plan).
• There will always be minor set-backs. If you stick with it! (Child and new product development).
• Your objective is to take your puppy to his toilet area every time he needs to eliminate. This should be about once every 45 minutes.
• Just after play, eating, drinking or walking.
• When he does eliminate in his toilet area, Praise and reward him profusely and enthusiastically!
• The more times he is rewarded, the quicker he will learn (you entrepreneurs out there know from that one, right?)
• Consistency and Patience are the keys. Never scold or punish.

Don’t forget, most puppies are not reliably house trained until they are at least 6 months old.

I don’t know what that is in child or new business years.