House-training a New Puppy

Successful housetraining is one of the first things any pet parents must accomplish with a new puppy or dog. Even though the process can be time-consuming, it does not have to be complicated or difficult. The key to successful housetraining is consistency, and common sense.

There are a numerous ways to house-train a dog successfully, choose the method that works best for the environment in which you live.

Crate Training
Crate training is a popular way of potty training dogs if used correctly it is both effective and human. Through crate training it encourages puppies to hold their potty for longer periods of time and keeps puppies safe when unsupervised. If you use the crate correctly, it is a highly effective toilet training tool. It is important to avoid crating puppies for extended periods of time as this may cause medical issues including urine tract problems.

Paper Training
People in urban living situations with no yard or easy access to green-space tend to 'paper train' their puppies. This entails using puppy pads or newspaper until the pups have had all their vaccinations. Once their puppy has all its vaccines it is safe for the puppy to be outside, they typically transition paper training inside to toileting outside.

Those in suburban or rural environments with yards or a safe outside area might use a combination of training pads and outside toileting. Still others with regular access to the outdoors may skip pads altogether and take their pups straight outside.