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• Praise your dog or puppy lavishly every time he eliminates outdoors. You can even give him a treat. You must praise him and give him a treat immediately after he's finished eliminating, not after he comes back inside the house. This step is vital, because rewarding your dog for eliminating outdoors is the only way he'll know that's what you want him to do.
• Choose a location not too far from the door to be the bathroom spot. Always take your dog or puppy, on a leash, directly to the bathroom spot. Take him for a walk or play with him only after he has eliminated. If you clean up an accident in the house, take the soiled rags or paper towels and leave them in the bathroom spot. The smell will help your dog recognize the area as the place he is supposed to eliminate. While your dog or puppy is eliminating, use a word or phrase, like "go potty," that you can eventually use before he eliminates to remind him of what he's supposed to be doing.
• If possible, put your dog or puppy on a regular feeding schedule. Depending on their age, puppies usually need to be fed three or four times a day. Feeding your dog or puppy at the same times each day will make it more likely that he'll eliminate at consistent times as well. This makes house training easier for both of you.

Supervise, Supervise, Supervise
Don't give your dog or puppy an opportunity to soil in the house. He should be watched at all times when he is indoors. You can tether him to you with a 6-foot leash, or use baby gates, to keep him in the room where you are. Watch for signs that he needs to eliminate, like sniffing around or circling. When you see these signs, immediately take him outside, on a leash, to his bathroom spot. If he eliminates, praise him lavishly and reward him with a treat.

Confinement
When you're unable to watch your dog at all times, he should be confined to an area small enough that he won't want to eliminate there. It should be just big enough for him to comfortably stand, lie down and turn around in. This area could be a portion of a bathroom or laundry room, blocked off with boxes or baby gates. Or you may want to crate train your dog and use the crate to confine him. If your dog has spent several hours in confinement, when you let him out take him directly to his bathroom spot and praise him when he eliminates.

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