Never Punish Housetraining Mistakes!
If your puppy is well supervised and taken outside frequently, house soiling accidents should be rare. However, if you do find an accident or observe your puppy eliminating inside, never punish or reprimand him in any way. Although many owners believe punishment is helpful in housetraining, it can actually hinder progress! This is because puppies do not generally associate the presence of feces or urine with the act of eliminating. Punishing dogs for accidents causes them to associate the punishment with the location and with the owner, but does not affect future elimination habits.
If you witness your puppy eliminating in the house, quietly interrupt him and carry him outside to finish. (Do not use a correction or say “no” because you will only teach your dog to avoid eliminating in your presence, inside or outside)! Clean the spot thoroughly with a biological cleaner designed for pet waste and make a note to intensify your supervision techniques.
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