It's Cold Outside. Can I Paper-Train Her First?

Most trainers agree that teaching a puppy to go on paper and then retraining her to go outside can be confusing. Some dogs never quite figure out that they are supposed to move on from papers to the great outdoors and continue to potty on any pile of papers they see.

One puppy who had been reliable in the house for some time had a relapse one day when her owners were painting the hall. They had laid down papers to protect the carpet, and she came along and squatted on them for a quick pee. They hadn't paper-trained her at all, but apparently, the breeder had laid down papers to protect their floors and the smart pup remembered what they were for. But if you live in a high-rise building or are unable to walk your dog regularly, try paper-training or litter box training.

To paper-train your dogs, spread a few layers of paper in the area you want your pup to go. Then, instead of taking her outside, take her to the papers. Let her sniff around, but if she moves off the papers, set her  back on them. When she eliminates, praise her.

If you're having trouble getting your pup to use the papers, try this trick. When she urinates, hold a sponge underneath the flow to capture some of the urine. You can then use the sponge to scent the papers. The next time you take your pup to the papers, she'll smell the urine and remember what she's supposed to do. You can also purchase pads at pet supply stores that claim to induce eliminating. When the pad is placed on the papers its scent is supposed to encourage a puppy to eliminate there. It's worth a try if you're having problems.

To house-train your dog with a litter box instead of papers, follow the same process as paper-training. Litter boxes and litter suited for puppies and dogs who weigh up to thirty-five pounds can be found in pet supply stores. Shredded paper, which some dogs prefer, can be substituted for litter.

How Do I House-Train my Puppy?

Start house-training your puppy as soon as you get him home. Even before you bring him into the house for the first time, take him to the potty spot you've chosen, and let him sniff around. Make note of any patterns of sniffing, circling, and squatting. These are his clues that he needs to go out. If he performs, praise him in a happy tone of voice, "Good Potty!" Then take him inside, and introduce him to his special place, which can be a crate or anything.

Dog develop preferences for certain potty surfaces, usually based on what they learn as a puppy. It's a good idea to expose your pup to different potty surfaces such as asphalt, concrete, and gravel so that if you don't have access to grass, you won't have a problem getting him to go.

Young puppies should not have the run of the house. Before you bring your puppy home, choose a safe area of the house to let your pup stay. This is usually a kitchen, laundry room, bathroom or some other area with an uncarpeted floor. Rooms with tile, vinyl, or concrete floors are good choices.

Lay down papers in this rooms (this is not paper-training but simply an easier way to clean up messes). Put your pup's open crate, a couple of chew toys, and a food and water dish at the opposite end of the room. Close off the room with a baby gate or other barrier to prevent him from wandering throughout the house. Until your puppy is house-trained, he need to be under your direct supervision or confined to an area where he can't get into trouble.

The goal is for your pup to eliminate away from his crate and eating area whenever you aren't there to take him out. Once your pup is consistently eliminating in a certain spot on the papers, you can gradually take up the papers, leaving only the favored area covered.

If you come home and your pup has pottied in the safe room, don't scold him. He's just doing what comes naturally. Take him outside and praise him when he potties in the chosen spot. If you take him to the same area every time, the lingering scent will prompt him to go again.

The Secrets of Successful House Training

Puppies pee and poop a lot of times. If you’ve never lived with a puppy, you’d be amazed by the number of times these little ones need to go potty. Every hour or two they star doing things looking for a place to potty. If you aren’t watchful, accidents may frequently happen.

House Training is the first lesson new owners need to consider teaching their pets; it is the foundation for a good behavior. Without it, dogs can’t become members of family you ever wanted. They run the risk of being exiled to the backyard, never getting the attention and social interaction that they need and deserve.

The secrets of successful house-training are simple: TIME, PATIENT, CONSISTENCY and SUPERVISION. That’s all a pet need to be trained. Dogs are known to be quick or fast learners. A regular potty schedule, combined with praise for going in the right spot, and they’ll soon get the idea. Dogs are naturally clean animals, and they don’t want to spoil their living area. House-training teaches dogs that the house is the living area and the yard (or whatever spot you choose) is the potty area.

House-training especially potty training a puppy is a process. It’s not something a puppy can learn in a day, or a week. It might take few weeks or even a month for your dogs to understand what you want.

Remember that each dog is an individual; some puppies are trained so fast while others may take few months until they’re completely reliable to understand. Dogs need extra supervision and a lot of positive reinforcement. This is one of the secrets of successful house-training.