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.