Dear Miss Paws: We have a new puppy and are wondering what the best way is to housebreak him. Can you offer some suggestions? A. There are a couple of different methods you can use. You can train them indoors with newspapers or “puppy pads” which are scented with a chemical that attracts the puppy to use them. The other method is with a crate. Regardless of the method you use, the most important rules of housebreaking are: (1) If you don’t catch him doing it – then don’t punish him for it and (2) Praise your puppy when things go right. Don’t get in the situation where all you are saying is “No”. If they do it right – let them know! Training with pads or newspaper is usually the most popular in cold weather. Whenever you see their “pre-potty pattern”, such as walking around and sniffing the floor, you gently pick them up and carry them over to the papers/pad, then praise them when they go to the bathroom. When they become consistent and all is going well, the papers are either moved closer and closer to the door and/or another set is placed outside. The transition is made from concentrating his bathroom habits to one spot inside the house to one spot outside the home. Finally, the papers are eliminated altogether. The only problem with this method is that for a period of time it encourages him to eliminate inside the home and may take a little longer when used. The next time I will describe how to housebreak with a cage.
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