Either you are thinking of getting a puppy or you have already brought one home. In either case, you need puppy training advice. The best place to start is with housebreaking. By housebreaking your puppy first, you will save your furniture and flooring from major damage later plus the embarrassment of owning a dog who does not know where to go to the bathroom.

Before sharing your housebreaking options with you, another piece of puppy training advice that is very important is to remain calm and patient with your puppy. A dog’s memory does not work the same as a human’s and your dog requires time to remember where to use the bathroom and where not to as well. Yelling at your puppy for potty accidents or punishing them in some way, rubbing their nose in it for example, will only make your puppy afraid of you, the flooring, or eliminating at all, causing health or behavioral problems in the dog.

When housebreaking your puppy there are two common methods to choose from and which one you use is up to you. Both come recommended by professional dog trainers and both will take some time for your puppy to learn. The first method is crate training and the second is paper training.

Crate Training

Crate training takes advantage of a dog’s instinct not to potty in its den. Instead of a dog digging or using a natural spot like a cave as a den, you will create one in your home. Your dog’s crate is your dog’s home in your home. This is what he will consider his safe spot. Do not use your dog’s crate as a discipline tool; he should want to go in it and enjoy his time in there.

When buying a crate, you may want to consider the size your puppy will be when full grown. If the crate is made for a large dog, purchase a piece that fits into the crate to reduce its size for your puppy now  but can be moved to fit your puppy as she grows or removed when an adult. The reason for controlling the space your puppy has in the crate is to prevent her from picking a far corner as her potty spot. The less space she has the less likely she is to mess in her space and later, yours.

Keep in mind that your puppy has a very small bladder and bowel, so he will need to be taken out 6 or more times per day to eliminate. Keeping your puppy in the crate so long that he is forced to potty in there is not teaching him anything. When your puppy goes out to potty, you do too. This is for two reasons: first, you can encourage him to do his business and second, when he goes you can praise him and offer a reward. The most common times for your dog to want to go out is after waking, eating or drinking, and playing. He is naturally stimulated to go potty at these times, which is similar to a human’s schedule.

Paper Training

Paper training takes advantage of another of your puppy’s instincts: to relieve herself in the same spot. The smell of your puppy’s previous elimination will attract her to the same spot to go again. To start this training, you need a minimum of equipment: a large stack of newspapers and a small room to confine your puppy in with an easy to clean floor.

Paper training your dog is a wonderful training method and is great if you have little time to spend with your dog on potty training. The only drawback to this method is that your dog will never be completely house broken and will think that going potty in the house is allowed. If this is acceptable to you, then paper training may be for you.

First cover the room in several layers of newspaper and place his bed, water bowl, and a few toys in it. Then place something in the room that you used to clean up his last accident in a spot far away from his bed and water bowl, usually the opposite corner of the room. He will be attracted to that spot when it is time to potty. After your dog has relieved himself, remove the top layers of newspaper and replace them under the remaining layers so the waste is removed from the room but the scent remains to attract your puppy.

After several days or weeks, depending on your dog, start removing some of the paper from the room slowly. You will have removed enough when there is only a small area in the chosen corner for elimination. The process of reducing the area will probably take several weeks until the room is mostly paper free. Be sure to always keep a paper in the corner for elimination.

One last piece of puppy training advice during housebreaking is to watch your dog for signs she needs to be taken outside. These signs include intense sniffing in a circle, squatting, or walking while squatting. When she relieves herself in the proper spot, praise and reward her for good behavior. During housebreaking do not forget to allow your puppy plenty of time outside the crate or room of choice for eating, drinking, playing and socializing too. Your puppy needs those things and lots of love to be the best dog she can be.

Read the original here: Puppy Training Advice To Potty Train Your Puppy