outside. If he shows any signs that he is about to relieve himself (sniffing the floor, turning in circles, or squatting), startle him by saying "No!" and carry or move him outside immediately and then praise him for eliminating outside. If accidents are frequent, he needs to be watched more closely and taken out more often.

You should never punish your puppy/dog if he relieves himself in the house. Contrary to popular belief, you should not rub his nose in it, yell at him, hit him, or throw him outside in the yard. He won't understand why he is being punished and it will only confuse him. If he looks guilty, it is because he knows you are angry with him (by your body language and tone of voice), not because he eliminated in the house. If you did not catch him in the act, take him to the spot and say "No!" in a low-pitched, firm voice. Then clean up the mess with a paper towel. Take the puppy/dog and the soiled paper towel outside to the designated potty area. Place the towel on the ground and let him sniff it. The scent will cause him to want to eliminate there next time.

Clean accidents thoroughly by using an odor neutralizer. If the puppy/dog has an accident in the house and the odor is not eliminated, he will return to the same spot later. Most pet stores carry special pet odor neutralizers that are very effective in removing the odors.

Housebreaking is an all or nothing behavior. If your puppy/dog occasionally eliminates in the house, he is not housebroken. The key to housebreaking is very simple - prevent accidents and praise correct performance. Be patient and persistent in your housebreaking training. If you are having trouble housebreaking your puppy/dog, see your veterinarian to rule out any medical conditions that could be causing or adding to the problem.

Following is a simple relieving schedule that works for puppies or adopted older dogs that were never housebroken. The easiest way to train a dog for housebreaking is to get him onto a relieving schedule that he can keep and word upwards from. Remember your dog is an individual, and while some will achieve housebreaking quickly, others can take months to learn reliable behavior.