There are only a handful of things in the universe that are sweeter and more darling than puppies. When they are pooping and tinkling all over the place, though, the warm and affectionate feeling you have around them suddenly disappears. You will find yourself startled at how something so tiny can produce something so foul – and so much of it!

Housebreaking your puppy is the key, and you need to do this quickly. Toilet training your new pup should start right away. It’s best to begin the moment you bring your new puppy home because it gets more unpleasant and stressful the more you delay it. Here are a few simple recommendations on housebreaking puppies:

1. Make housebreaking your new puppy a family task.
There are various reasons why you should do so. For one thing, house-training dogs depend significantly on consistency, so each person in the family needs to be on board so as not to confuse your new pup. Make sure each person in the household adheres to the same training methods and cues while toilet training him.

For another, this sees to it that somebody will constantly be around to attend to the puppy whenever he needs to do his business. Don’t forget that a puppy needs ceaseless care.

2. Stick to a schedule.
There’s very simple rule to follow when housebreaking a new pup: taking your puppy outdoors is the first thing you must do in the morning and the last thing you should do at night. Moreover, a puppy will need to do his business after playtime AND meals, so he should be taken outside then, too. Speaking of meals, remember that your pup should eat his last meal for the day one or two hours prior to bedtime.

You can also begin by taking your pup outside every half hour, if you do not want to take any chances. You can extend the intervals as he grows older.

3. Watch his behavior.
There’ll be times when nature calls out of the blue. If you observe your pup enough, you will recognize when he’s about to go. A revealing signal of an imminent tinkle is when he sniffs or circles around a precise area, so move fast and bring him outside immediately.

For more info regarding puppy housebreaking and dog obedience training in general, be sure to check out this Dog Training Zone by Charlie LaFave review.

4. Don’t punish him if he has an incident.
Puppies truly are just babies. A baby won’t be punished for soiling himself. So it is completely inappropriate to thrust a puppy’s nose into his muck as punishment. Instead, give him a chance to complete his business outside by quickly picking him up. Don’t expect too much of your pup because it’s just natural that he will have some accidents.

5. Positive reinforcement is preferable.
Dog training experts say that punishment doesn’t succeed as much as positive reinforcement. Reward your pup whenever he does his business in the appropriate spot by giving him a treat and complimenting him in enthusiastic tones immediately after the event. Do this regularly enough, and your pet will understand that he’ll be rewarded for his excellent behavior.

6. Limit the places that he can go to.
Until your puppy is house trained, confine his access to particular areas of the house. For starters, you can keep him in a small room with floors that can be mopped easily, then gradually introduce other areas as his behavior gets better. It’s a slow process, but one that will succeed in time.

7. Clean up after him.
Whenever an accident occurs, clean up the area right away because dogs are inclined to do their business on the same areas over and over. Deodorize the area fully because he can deftly sniff it out if remnants of the scent linger.

The reality is, your new pet’s toilet habits will test your affection and patience at the beginning of your relationship. But with awareness, resolve, and most of all, consistency, you’ll have a housebroken pup in no time!