[LabMan2]

Time and time again I've seen this question come up so I thought I would share this helpful information.

Housebreaking a puppy can be a very difficult and time consuming task and it's important to remember that puppies have a hard time controlling themselves until they are at least a few months old. It's important to keep in mind that it's not your puppies fault, really. You want to supervise them as much as possible in order to try and prevent accidents, but you're not always going to be able to prevent them so don't get upset when it does happen.

Take your puppy outside right away in the morning, every morning, to take care of his duty. Typically, this is one of the first things puppies will need to do when they wake up. You'll begin to establish a patter, when your puppy hears you get up, they will know it is time to go outside. Let your puppy out every night before you go to bed. This will also help establish part of your routine.

Your puppy may cry to get your attention if they need to go to the bathroom so if this does ever happen, make sure you let them outside. This will help them learn that by getting your attention, you will let them outside so they can go to the bathroom. You'll also want to make it point to let them outside after every feeding. Allow adequate time for them to sniff around and take care of their business. It may be a good idea to establish other times during the day as potty times, during which your dog will remain outside for a length of time long enough for them to take care of business.

If you ever catch your puppy in the act, respond quickly by picking them up and taking them outside, or if you are training them with pee pads, take them to the pad immediately. This will help them learn that when they have to go to the bathroom, they need to go to this area to do so. Most important of all, only scold your puppy if you catch him having an accident in the house. Do not yell at your puppy after the fact because he or she will not know what you are yelling for, and this will slow your progress of housebreaking training. If you want to get your point across, scold them only when you catch them in the act by saying "No" in a commanding voice, and take them to where they are supposed to go. This will let them know you mean business.

It will take some time but if you remain consistent and stick to your game plan, you will be successful at housebreaking your puppy and will be much happier with their behavior.