HOUSE TRAINING

House training your puppy should be a stress-free and pleasant experience for both you and your puppy. If a few basic rules are followed it should only take a few days to completely house train your puppy, although each puppy is individual and some will learn more quickly than others.

When you first take your puppy home you should allow approximately three days to devote entirely to him, you will need to be there for each time he needs to relieve himself. You will need to teach your puppy to go outside at all these times: immediately after waking in the morning every meal every nap visitors arrive a period of play or excitement and before being put to bed

At first carry your pup outside at these times until he gets the idea, then he should be encouraged to follow you out. If you want your puppy to perform his duties in only one area in the garden now is the time to teach him this, when taking him outside always take him to the chosen spot. You should always stay with the puppy until he has performed his 'duty' no matter how long it takes. Immediately after his performance you should give him lots of exaggerated praise.
The crucial key to successful house training is to praise not punish. If your puppy has an accident in the house tell him 'no' in a firm voice but only if you actually catch him doing it. Never punish him after the event. If he has soiled when you are out and you come home and scold him he will not be able to make the association with the mess and the punishment, he will be confused and begin to fear your return leading to allsorts of other behaviour problems.
If you use this method, house training will not be a problem. The old fashioned methods such as rubbing the dogs nose in the mess does not work, all it does is to build an association with doing his 'duty' and an unpleasant experience when around you. The pup will learn to hide behind the furniture to perform or hang on until you are not around.
Night time training will take a little longer to complete because you are not there to let the pup out and because it is an unreasonable time to expect one so young to last. A small area should be selected to secure for your pup, preferably with a wipe clean floor, such as a kitchen or utility. The area should be just big enough for the pup's bed and for some newspaper to be spread out. Your pup should not be able to get out of this area. A dog crate is ideal as this can continue to be used as the pup grows to prevent furniture being chewed when you are out, to give him a safe den away from the children or to contain him in the back of a vehicle. Remember to buy one that is big enough to contain him when he is fully-grown, it is false economy to buy a small one. Once your pup is a little older and clean throughout the day he will automatically learn to stay clean at night too.

The important rule to remember is
praise not punishment.