Positive Housetraining for Your Puppy

Step 1: Get the Right Stuff
Positive housetraining goes much faster when you have the right equipment. That stuff includes, first and foremost, a crate. This enclosure will be your puppy's private space. Whenever you can't give him your undivided attention, your puppy should be in his crate.  

You also need a flat buckle collar and a 6-foot leash of either leather or nylon, so you can safely take your puppy to his outdoor potty spot.

Step 2: Make Scents
Your puppy's nose is far more sensitive than yours. The canine sniffer has 40 times more scent receptors than yours, his brain's olfactory center is considerably larger than yours and his nose is designed to intensify scents. All these differences mean that your puppy can detect scents you can't.

You can capitalize on your puppy's smelling superiority during housetraining. Just try to get your puppy to pee on a paper towel or old cloth, or simply wipe his bottom with the cloth after he's tinkled. Then, save the cloth; you'll need it for the next step. 

Step 3: Pick a Potty Spot
Now you're ready to choose the place where you want your puppy to do the doo. Find an area in your yard — or, if you don't have a yard, a sidewalk median strip — close enough so you can whisk your puppy outdoors fast if he indicates a need to potty (Step 6 spotlights those signs and indications).

When you take your puppy to the designated bathroom, place the scent cloth you created in Step 2 atop the exact spot where you want him to do his business. Your puppy will probably sniff the cloth intently, then re-anoint it. Repeat this process whenever your pup needs to make a pit stop, and soon he'll do the doo where you want.

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