What To Do With A Puppy: House-Training Strategies For Dog Or Puppy: Potty Train A Puppy

It might seem like your puppy won't potty train, but maybe you're not giving her enough chances for success. Potty training may take up to six months, so patience is definitely required. Accidents are part of the process, but if you follow these basic house-training guidelines, you can get the newest member of your family on the right track.

Here are four secrets that the pros use for success:
- Who's the Top Dog?
By nature, dogs travel in packs, with the alpha dog as the leader of the pack. There can only be one alpha dog per pack; otherwise, chaos would ensue and the safety of the pack would be in peril. Your dog needs to understand that you are the alpha dog of the pack.
- Consistency is Key
Virtually every dog trainer will tell you that humans are generally at fault when dogs don't successfully learn commands. That's because dogs see the world in black and white, whereas humans see the world in shades of gray. For humans, "Come" and "C'mon" mean the same thing; a dog, on the other hand, may understand "Come" but is clueless as to what his owner wants when he says, "C'mon." Whenever you want to modify your dog's behavior or teach it a command, use a consistent vocabulary and tone.
- Mutual Respect Leads to Obedience
A happy and healthy human-canine relationship is based on mutual respect. Your dog respects your position as the alpha of the pack and you respect his needs. Contrary to what you may read, respect and obedience do not grow out of a package of doggie treats, nor do they grow out of fear. Excessive rewards and excessive sternness will lead to erratic behavior, while appropriate praise and correction will lead to respect.
- Timing is Everything
Timing comes into play in various aspects of dog training. The adage, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks," isn't entirely correct, but it is much easier to train a puppy than it is an older dog. Some people make the mistake of engaging their dogs in long, drawn-out training sessions. Like young children, the attention spans of dogs are relatively short, and fun 15-minute lessons are more likely to bring results than hour-long drills.