Puppy training should begin as soon as you bring your puppy home.
Establishing rules and boundaries should be started as early as possible in your puppy's life to ensure a well trained dog in the future.
The sooner you train your puppy, the sooner he will become a well adjusted member of the family.
Puppies are a bundle of joy but you may find that joyful feeling dissipating after your pup has soiled the carpet.
This is why the first thing you will have to do is house-train your puppy.
Potty training a dog isn't as difficult as you may think, but you will need a lot of patience and persistent in order to be successful.
Puppies have small bladders and short intestinal tracts and need to relieve themselves every two hours so you will have to provide your puppy with the appropriate area to relieve himself every two hours or so if you want to avoid inappropriate urination or soiling in the house.
There are many methods for house-training your puppy and you will have to choose which is the most suitable and convenient for you.
Here are some common house-training methods used: Paper Training: Some people like to paper train their dogs.
This involves laying down newspapers or special house-training paper to help your dog eliminate in a specific area.
You should spread several layers of paper in a wide area at the beginning and then gradually remove some paper to make the designated area smaller.
Your dog will eventually learn to use a specific area when he needs to relive himself.
Outdoor Training: If you own a backyard or would like to train your dog to relieve himself outdoors you will have to choose an area that your dog will be consistently using.
Using a leash, take your puppy to this area every two hours and he will soon learn what is required of him.
Dogs respond well to positive reinforcement and you should indulge your dog with treats every time he does what's required of him.
The majority of dogs love treats and will do everything they can to please you and get rewarded with a treat.
You should never strike your dog or scold him harshly as this will only serve to confuse him and make him fearful of you.
Keeping your puppy close to you in the early stages of his house-training will help you notice when he needs to relieve himself.
Walking around in circles, sniffing, restlessness and squatting are all signs that the dog needs to go and you should take him to the designated area immediately if you want to avoid an accident.
A good way to keep your eye on your pup is to keep him attached to you with a training leash.
Training leashes are longer than regular leashes and are commonly 6-10 feet long.
You can easily attach the leash to you while you're going around the house to keep your pup under supervision.
As soon as he shows signs of needing to go, it's time to take him to his designated potty area.
Crate Training: Some people choose to crate train their puppy.
Dogs are reluctant to soil their sleeping area and crate training takes advantage of this concept.
Make sure you choose a large crate in which your dog can sit, stand and turn around comfortably.
Keep the crate in an area that is frequented by people and activity so your pup is stimulated and never keep a dog longer than two hours confined in a crate.
If you're away from the house for longer than that you should consider hiring a dog sitter or let a family member let the dog out several times a day.