When using dog obedience training techniques to shape your puppy into the dog of your dreams, it’s important to pay special attention to the housetraining routine. Puppy potty training doesn’t have to be difficult; in fact, it can be quite simple with a few dog training tips from a top dog trainer.
But here’s the catch: you have to be consistent. Puppy needs to be able to predict that she will get to go outside regularly. She will need to be able to read your signals clearly enough to know that the house is never to be used as a toilet.
A big part of establishing consistency is the throwing away of excuses. If a top dog trainer were to hear the following excuses, it might cause his or her hackles to stand up:
The housetraining schedule: The schedule on the refrigerator clearly states that Jimmy, Barbie, Mom, and Dad are all supposed to take turns taking the new puppy out, every half hour during the day. It worked out on the first day, but by the second, Barbie was at a friend’s house and Jimmy was tied up in a game of video space invaders. By the third day, Mom had a lunch date and Dad had a meeting with a client. 
Excuse: The puppy can hold it. If I train her to only go outside, she’ll wait until I get home to go.
Truth: Puppy’s bladder is small, and she’ll need to relieve herself regularly. If she can accurately predict that the next bathroom break is not far off, she won’t soil in the house. But if she’s not sure how long it will be before the next outing, she might resort to toileting in the house. Once it happens, the odor will be there, enticing her to do it again.
Crate training: You bought a crate for puppy, but she hasn’t been spending downtime in it. She cries, so you let her out to roam the house and sleep in your bed.
Excuse: She’s so lonely. I wouldn’t want to be holed up in a cage all night. And besides, she cries all night when she’s in it, and I can’t sleep.
Truth: Surely, puppy will be lonely in her crate for the first few nights. She was just taken away from her littermates and her mother, and she’s having to make a big adjustment. However, her crate will soon become a place of rest and safety for her. It will also keep her from soiling the house, because she’s not likely to urinate or defecate where she sleeps. Put a comfy bed and some of her favorite chew toys inside, and soon, she won’t be the only one sleeping like a baby.
Accident Punishment: Puppy pees on the carpet and you yell, “No!” and smack her nose.
Excuse: She needs to learn that I’m not going to tolerate such bad behavior! She needs to know that I’m mad, so she won’t do it again.
Truth: Puppies and dogs respond much more readily, and predictably, to positive reinforcement. Instead of trying to punish for bad behavior, reward her every time she goes outside.
If I could make only two points about proper puppy potty training, they would be these: first, make sure that you maintain consistent from the very beginning; and second, use the quick and easy dog training tips that top dog trainers use for housetraining. The puppy potty training that you use in Puppy Preschool will lay the foundation for the dog human relationship that you desire. Plus, your bed, your living room carpet, and your nose with thank you.
