House training or potty training your pup is important since it’ll save you the effort of cleaning up after it. You cannot train it before it is two to three months old, since this is when it develops muscles and control of its bowels.

At the beginning, you will have to read your puppy’s behavior and predict when it will need to be taken outside to relieve itself. A good time is usually after a meal and after a nap, and at least every three hours.

The best house breaking methods consist of these basic elements:

• Confinement : Dogs typically will not eliminate where they sleep and eat. Using a crate or other small space to keep a dog during house training will play on a dog's instinct to hold it.
• Training: Sure a dog can learn to hold it, but they then need to be able to let their owner know that they need to take a potty break. Look for the signs, such as sniffing the ground, wandering in circles, or squatting.
• Timing: Setting up a regular sleeping and feeding routine will greatly help owners to predict when a dog will need to go outside.
• Praise: Dogs want to please their owners. Giving a dog praise when it behaves well is much more effective than yelling or punishing a dog when it makes a mess in the house.
• Location: Take them a little distance from their living area and encourage them to relieve themselves. Give positive feedback when they are finished.

Always remember that it is not the pup’s fault that it had to relieve itself in the wrong area. If it is kept within the house most of the time, make sure it gets frequent outings and enough exercise.

If a dog still doesn't know the difference between a fire hydrant and an antique rug, there could be an underlying medical condition that would require a trip to the vet. When all else fails, there are professionals out there who can help whip a dog into shape faster than it takes to haul that rug to the dry cleaner yet again.

Best age to start house training?

How old should your puppy be before you begin housetraining? Start as early as you can but don't expect results until the pup is about 14 weeks old. Before 14 weeks your pup cannot physically hold it in. Then why start early you may ask? Well, even though your pup may not be physically able to hold it in, she'll at least begin learning what's expected of her. Consider any training before 14 weeks to be "pre-school". When her physical abilities catch up with what you taught her, it will make it that much easier to put the lessons into practice.

If your dog has an accident inside the house, it's best to clean up the puppy accident immediately by treating the stain and using an odor neutralizer.

Outdoor Housebreaking or Indoor Paper Training?

Generally, you should use the outdoor housebreaking plan if:

1. He's a large dog whose puddles and piles are too big to be part of civilized, indoor society.
2. Your schedule allows you to get him to his potty area regularly or he can take himself out through a doggie door.
3. You have access to an outdoor area that is appropriate for use as a dog toilet.
   

You should use indoor potty training (paper training, litter box or wee wee pads) if:

1. He's very small and his pees and poos won't be terribly offensive indoors.
2. You work very long hours and can't give him outdoor access on a regular schedule.
3. You don't have access to a suitable outdoor potty area.
4. You plan to permanently allow him to use an indoor potty area.

Other Web Resources

• Get Your Complete Happy Housetraining Program, complete with six feeding and training schedules:http://pottytrainmypuppy.com/
• Free housebreaking information at http://TheHousebreakingBible.com/. Training articles cover crate training, dog door training, litter boxes, wee wee pads, newpapers, scheduling, problem solving and more. There is also a forum to post questions and get answers from the trainers.