Whether you are looking into housebreaking an older dog, or housebreaking a puppy, old school dog housebreaking tips should not be used. These tips are outdated. When your puppy eliminates where he should not, never put his face in his own mess. Puppies are too young to understand what you are trying to tell them and this only causes fear. The golden rules for housebreaking dogs are consistency and praise for good behavior. Punishing your dog for poor behavior is usually ineffective. Here are tips for housebreaking a puppy. These tips can be useful for housebreaking an older dog as well.

DO:

* Take your puppy out every two hours as well as after eating, waking, playing and before bed-time.

* Pick your puppy up and take him to his place of elimination. Stick to the same place.

* Allow your puppy to eliminate multiple times during one outing to avoid unwanted accidents later.

* If you catch your puppy eliminating where he should not, clap your hands, pick him up and bring him where he should eliminate. Then say, "you potty here".

* Verbally praise and offer your puppy a treat immediately after he eliminates where he should.

* Keep a very close eye on your puppy so that you catch him in the act if he eliminates where he should or should not.

* Utilize training tools such as the UGODOG puppy potty.

* Utilize potty pads enhanced with pheromones to encourage usage.

* Utilize obedience-training class to help with housebreaking.

DON'T:

* Punish him when he has an accident. He cannot connect his unwanted behavior with the punishment. He will think eliminating all together is "bad".

* Praise your puppy when he eliminates where he should if you have not seen him eliminate. Your puppy will not associate his proper behavior if he is not praised immediately.

* Give treats other than when your puppy eliminates where he should. If he gets treats for no reason, he will not associate treats with proper behavior for proper elimination.