House training rarely presents a problem with puppies who've been reared under normal conditions. That’s because a puppy reared with his mother until 6 or 7 weeks of age will have learned to move away from his sleeping area to relieve himself. Puppies instinctively want to be clean, and very few puppies will foul their sleeping area if given the choice.

A young puppy needs to urinate and defecate frequently, as he has a very small bladder and bowel. This gives you as a puppy owner plenty of chances to praise your puppy for performing in the right area, allowing him to learn quickly. Do not punish your puppy for doing wrong. It’s your responsibility to ensure that you take him to the chosen toilet area as frequently as he needs to go, generally as soon as he wakes up, after every meal and at hourly intervals. Take your puppy outside, wait with him until he performs, and then praise him by giving him a snack or playing with him. While he’s learning, you need to wait with him, so you can praise him at the correct time.

Young puppies will inevitably have “accidents.” It’s important to ignore these, and to clean up well so the smell doesn’t linger, as this may encourage him to repeat the performance in the same spot. Don’t scold your dog for mistakes. Rather, reward him when he’s correct, and he’ll soon want to go outside.

It’s also possible to train your dog to urinate and defecate on command. As he performs, add words you choose, such as “be quick” or “busy.” Your dog will then build up an association of the word with the action. It’s important that you only say the words while he’s actually performing. Defecating and urinating on command is very useful, as dog owners have a duty to prevent their dogs from fouling indiscriminately. Teaching your dog to relieve himself in your yard before you leave your home can help prevent accidents in parks or on sidewalks. Also, always carry a scoop (a “pooper-scooper”) so that if your dog does defecate in a public place, you can clean it up.
Courtesy of Pedigree.com