Before we start house training a dog, let us first understand a few important facts about dogs and their instinctual behavior.
In the event of you getting an adult dog as your first pet, you must remember, that it is just as easy to house train an adult dog, as it is to house train a puppy.
Since house training is to do with the toilet habits of your new pet, it is also very important to remember that puppies have very poor control over their bladders.
However, it also useful to remember that dogs are very clean animals, and will not eliminate in their sleeping area.
This one instinctual behavior of dogs will be your most useful ally in house training a dog.
Dogs love routines, and function best when they are trained in one.
This routine, makes it habitual for most dogs to want to eliminate, as soon as they awake in the morning, after they have their meals, and before they retire for the night, or go to sleep.
Pet owners can often feel that the dog has all the wrong ideas.
Sometimes the dogs behavior may seem as if it is resisting house training, and you, the dog owner, may wonder if you will ever break the animal of the habit of going to the bathroom in the house.
Stop fretting, there are secrets to house training a dog.
Permit me let you in on the first secret.
The best and most valuable purchase you can make, is that of a dog crate.
Providing your puppy or dog with an indoor kennel crate, can satisfy the dogs basic need for a den-like enclosure.
Besides, it would be the most effective house training tool, that you could ever put to use.
Earlier, I mentioned that a dog will not soil its sleeping area.
The singularly most effective method that can be used in house training a dog is 'crate training.
Crates are cages that allow a dog at most standing room.
When confined in a crate a dog sleeps in it, and there is room for nothing else.
The dog will not eliminate in the crate and will hold it all back in, so this is how you use a crate in house training a dog.
For the purpose of this exercise, let us assume, that your puppy or dog looks upon the crate as its own space, and is comfortable when locked in it.
After a few hours of confinement in the crate, carry the crate, puppy and all, out to the area you have designated for its toiletry purposes and then release the pup.
It would relieve itself immediately.
Be sure to praise the dog before re-confining it in the crate and transporting back to the place which you have designated for the dog within the house.
Repeat the process, but lengthen the interval between releases, and continue till you are satisfied that the dog would not go to the bathroom in the house.
Another method used in house training a dog, consists of using puppy pads.
This is also called paper training.
This would involve keeping a close eye on your animal for several weeks and working with it as you move the puppy pads closer and closer to the door.
However, this method typically involves lots of "accidents" and will result in cleaning up after the puppy quite a bit.
Another way the dog will learn to go to the bathroom outside is by using certain verbal commands or even a clicker to signal them when it is time to go out.
For example, taking the dog out and using the word "potty" will allow the dog to start to associate that word with the need to go outside.
You can even walk them over to the door that you want to use for this purpose so that they know where to stand when they need to alert someone.
The secrets of house training a dog can depend upon the breed you are trying to train and the setup of your home.
If you live in an apartment building, for instance, the method that you'll use will be quite different than that of someone who has a fenced in backyard.
Therefore, the training method should suit the circumstances and situation.