The best way to house train a dog is first have a dog crate for your dog. The next step is to take your dog outside on a leash and tell it to 'get busy' or whatever you wish to call it. Allow yourself at least, AT LEAST, 20 minutes. Preferably this time will be spent taking your dog for a walk rather than following the dog around the back yard in your pajamas. When the dog does his business be sure to let him know he is the greatest little dog in the universe. Be sure to clean up his business.

If in that time the dog has not done its business, then bring it back in and put it in the crate. Repeat until satisfactory results are attained at which time the dog can come in the house and be out of his crate.

I still have not found any problems with the old fashioned nose rub. Now don't take this poor thing and grind its face into the carpet, but when the dog does it on the carpet, let the dog know that it is bad, then take it to the door. DO NOT CARRY THE DOG OUTSIDE THE DOOR! Simply put the dog infront of the door and YOU open it. That way the dog learns that when it has to go, this is the door it goes to, and YOU will open it. I trained my Black Lab that way, I couldn't believe it, but after only 4 days she had it figured out, and she even had to go down a flight of stairs. Every now and then your dog will slip, especially if it likes to wake early and you don't, or if you leave to go to the mailbox and it takes a bit to get back, little puppy might have had to go in that time.

Whatever you do, DO NOT LOSE YOUR PATIENCE! Remember, we would all have been doing it on the floor too if it weren't for diapers and our parents gave us time to learn. A dog is a very very intelligent animal and will pick up on things rather quickly if you keep them simple. Once the dog gets use to going to the door, then it will eventually let you know before going to the door to get up and get going with a bark or wimper or such.

Best of luck and let me know how it goes.

p.s. MAKE SURE AND HAVE SOME REALLY GOOD NON BLEACHING CARPET CLEANER AND CATCH IT RIGHT AWAY SO IT DOESN'T SINK INTO THE FOAM PADDING UNDERNEATH!

Thanks for the replies, I have never tried the crate thing, but I have trained 1 female and 1 male with the "nose rub" way. It has been quite a while since I have trained a female (thats what I am working on now). We were at Wal-mart yesterday and my husband saw those puppy pads and asked me if we should try them, I have never used them. I wouldn't have any idea how to even use them. (there were probably instructions, but I didn't look).

P.s. my husband is a profesional carpet cleaner :-D.

I am an all positive trainer so I feel that rubbing a nose in the carpet will do nothing to change that behavior. By rubbing the nose in the mess, you only teach the dog to avoid getting caught and punished. They remember the punishment bute the pup will not relate the punishment to the crime! Dogs do not think like we do.
I use clicker training and can actually potty train up to 8 pups at once using this method. It makes the dogs think, stimulates their little brains and actually makes them smarter and happier.
Crate training is a great way to get the results you want. Dogs naturally don't want to go in their sleeping area and if you are busy, it's a safe place to keep a pup out of trouble. Always potty a dog using a crate at least every four hours during the day and usually it's more often.
Take the pup outside, right out of the crate first thing in the morning and when they go click the clicker and give a treat. After three successes that way, the pup will literally run to the door and go to get his reward. Always play for at least two minutes afterward or the smart dogs will learn to hold their pee to avoid having to go back inside, the little devils.
If you don't have a clicker a treat will work but it takes longer. The clicker is just a sound used to mark the behavior you want and communicate with the animal, be it dog, horse, dolphin or whatever.
Try www.clickertraining.com or check out clicker training in Amazon.com for books on the subject.

Dogs are smarter than you may think. They are alot like children, They do all they can to please you. So if you punish them for doing somthing wrong and praise for doing something right they learn, understand and do whats right. It may take a little longer then crate training, but this way also works. I have had her for a little over a week now and she has already caught on.

Dogs are smarter than you may think. They are a lot like children, They do all they can to please you. So if you punish them for doing something wrong and praise for doing something right they learn, understand and do what's right. It may take a little longer then crate training, but this way also works. I have had her for a little over a week now and she has already caught on.

Think like a dog - in order for your dog to use is God given talents in the area of potty training you must provides the means of encouragement on the same level of his Mother - through example.

Some use chunks of carpet, a log helps up right - here comes the fun part - other doggy dooo hunting - easily captured at other kennels or dog yards, wrapped freshly in plastic, with rubber gloves - smear the what will be consider a most valuable warrented smell of luster on these items. This won't last forever, one hopes. Dogs will learn by marking their spot with the glory of their... well everyone has witnessed a dog and a fire hindrunt. Lovely!

But you will have to refresh now and again, but keep taking them to that spot over and over, soon this will be the spot. You can easily throw out the rug, you might have to begin again or maybe he is just got the wing of things.

Reward with a doggy cooky as a reminder that he did a pleasing thing. If this is an in door situation - just ensure that your flooring is well protected and that you do not have to deal with too bad of a mess and is readilt retreive in order to freshen up.

I would suggest boot Trays with small samples of discontinued carpet. Log can be as small as of a pole ( make sure there is distance between walls) Larger the log better the aim.

I hope this helps! Please let me know how it goes, e mail

Lynn ( Member)

Thank you for your reply Lynn! It sounds like that would work very well :-). It is nice to see poeple still interested in this thread.