If you have a small breed dog, you can paper train your puppy. Paper training a puppy is preferable to older people who do not want to go outside in inclement weather to take the dog for a walk.
Paper training a puppy is especially desirable for those who live in high rise condominiums who do not want to have to take an elevator downstairs every time they want to take the dog out.
The first thing you need to do is decide where you are going to put the paper on which the dog will go to the bathroom. This should be done, obviously, in a place far away from the family. It is also important that is placed in a place far away from where the puppy will eat or sleep. Dogs do not like to go to the bathroom near where they eat or sleep.
Once you decide to put the paper in a certain spot, keep it there. The puppy will only get confused and the training process will become a problem if you decide to start moving the paper around all the time. Decide on where you want to put the paper and keep it there.
Puppies thrive on routine. You should make sure to feed your puppy each day at the same time, or as close to that time as possible. After your puppy is done eating, take him to the paper and give him instructions on to go to the bathroom. This can be simple such as “do your business.” The puppy will understand certain words and sooner or later it will sink in. You want to make sure that the puppy understands that he or she is supposed to go on the paper. Chances are that the puppy will just look at you like you are crazy. Again, this takes patience.
There are some substances that you can spread down on paper that are sold in pet stores that have a scent of urination that may induce your dog to go on the paper if you apply it to the newspaper. Puppies are creatures of habit and will feel more comfortable going in the same spot all of the time. You will notice that they will sniff around first for the perfect spot in which to go. If they smell other traces of urine or feces, they will settle on that spot.
Once your puppy does go on the paper, make a big happy fuss and give him some loving and a treat. Your puppy not only thrives on routine, but positive reinforcement. Your puppy will have accidents. You are better off to keep him crated when he is very young so that you can keep the accidents to a minimum.
Your puppy will grow into a dog in a year. By this time, he will be fully mature, assuming we are talking about a small breed. He should, by then, understand that it is not acceptable for him to go to the bathroom any place in the house except the designated paper spot.
Paper training a puppy is not difficult, it just takes patience. There are numerous advantages to this, the obvious one being that you do not have to take the puppy out in bad weather.