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HouseBreaking:

Along with teaching your puppy his name and to come when called, the most important lesson is housebreaking.  There is no such thing as a "partly housebroken" dog.  He is either housebroken or he isn't.  Some breeds are more difficult to housebreak that others.  The key word is "CONSISTENCY".  This means keeping your puppy on a regular schedule for mealtimes, nap-times, exercise and play times.  By feeding him at the same time each day, you can "train" his digestive system - he will need to eliminate shortly after each meal.

Always take him to a spot selected for his toilet training before and after play, after meals, when he awakens from a nap, first thing in the morning and last thing at night.  You should never just put him out and leave him.  Always take him out to his toilet-training area, stay with him, encourage him with a key word, such as "peetime" or "potties", then reward him with lavish praise and then bring him into the house.  (Note:   For really young puppies you might have to carry them out).  Do not let him stay outside to romp and play - not at this stage.  Soon you can take him for short walks only after you have regularly taken him to his outdoor toilet-training.  But for the first few weeks it is best just to take him to his outdoor toilet-training area and bring him in, with nothing else to confuse him.  He will soon learn why you took him there and, with lots of consistency, he may soon learn to bark or scratch at the door when he needs to go out.

Your puppy should be vaccinated before you begin to take him for short walks and only after his outdoor toilet training is becoming successful.  He should also be free of parasites, since an infested puppy may find it more difficult to control his bowel movements.

One very humane and effective technique for housebreaking is "Crate Training".  I strongly recommend Crate Training for housebreaking beginning with your puppy's first day in his new home.  Crate Training involves combined sleeping and housebreaking.  When you purchase a crate, which can serve as a permanent home for your puppy, you probably will want to purchase a size which will accommodate your puppy's mature size.

The Crate soon becomes the puppy's special place in his daily regimen.  He will come to think of the crate as his home, his own little indoor bedroom where he sleeps, naps and stays when your not home and is taken from the crate to his outdoor toilet-training area as soon as you arrive home.  He will soon learn to prefer his crate to any other spot in your home.   It becomes his security blanket, his sanctuary - his little home - within-a-home that he can go in and out of at will, after he is housebroken.  Never associate the crate with punishment.  Your puppy should only have the run of house if you are there to supervise him EVERY MINUTE.

It is recommended that you correct a puppy when caught eliminating in the house with a verbal "NO" and then take the puppy immediately out to his toilet-training area.

For more Training Tips check out this site each month!

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