The rewards of early training
There’s no doubt that puppies are little bundles of adorable fun, but to make sure they grow up into happy, sociable dogs, they need training. Puppies learn very quickly, so it's important to start teaching them good behaviour as soon as possible.

There are hundreds of books on the subject and you'll find puppy-training courses available in most areas. Your vet will be able to advise you on what's best for your pet and he or she may even run courses themselves. There are many different ways to approach training, but there are some golden rules that everyone follows:

There's no such thing as a "bad" dog
Puppies love to have fun, and this can often include things that you won't like him doing. Chewing the furniture or your shoes, for example. But he doesn't know that this is bad behaviour - he just thinks it's a game. So you'll need to teach him that he's not supposed to do it. If your puppy does something you don't approve of, remove him from the object he's chewing or the area that he's not supposed to be in, and do not pet him or talk to him. Show him objects that he is allowed to chew, or places he's allowed to go and then praise him. This will reinforce to your pet what you consider acceptable behaviour

Just say NO
If there's one word you want your puppy to learn it's 'no'. If your puppy does something potentially dangerous or extremely destructive, you should interrupt the behaviour with a firm 'no'. There's no need to shout, just use a low, assertive tone. Once he stops the behaviour, reward him with lots of praise.

Housetraining: It’s never too early to begin
You should begin housetraining your puppy from the very first day of his arrival. In fact, even before you take your puppy indoors, show him a place in the garden where you want him to do his business, and even encourage him to go there and then. If he does go, give him plenty of praise and attention, but don‘t worry if he doesn’t; things will fall into place with a little patience.

Keep your puppy regular: A regular routine is the most important aspect of early housetraining. Feed your puppy at the same time each day, and make sure you’re with him for up to 30 minutes after each mealtime as this is the time most puppies need to pass faeces. And remember, puppies eat several small meals a day so he’ll need to pass faeces several times, too. So you should allow at least two hours a day for your puppy to go to the toilet.

Exercise helps: During playtime with your puppy, take a break and go outside, to encourage him to do his business. If you introduce a short command when you take him outside, he’ll quickly learn that this means he should go to the toilet now.

Confinement and supervision: These are two important aids in housetraining your puppy. Watch him at all times and if you see him sniffing and circling the ground, lead him outside to his designated toilet area, but don’t pick him up, as he needs to learn to take himself to the door when he needs to go.

When to go: Every time your puppy wakes up, at the end of each meal and after every game, take your puppy outside to the toilet area. When he’s had a successful trip, heap plenty of praise on him.

You can’t always be around: Obviously, there will be times when you won’t be able to supervise your puppy closely and spot the warning signs that he wants to go to the toilet. At such times, put him in a small area with a floor you can wash, or put down an absorbent training pad. But please don’t leave your puppy alone for long periods, as he’ll begin to feel isolated.

Accidents will happen
Toilet training is never going to happen overnight and accidents are bound to happen. What is important at such times is how you react to the situation. You must never punish your puppy, never rub his nose in his “mistake”, shout at him or lose your temper. Clean up after him and try not to leave him alone for so long in future. If you’re not around to supervise him and he gets into the habit of messing indoors, such “accidents” aren’t your puppy’s fault; they’re yours.

The good news and the reward of your supervision and patience will be a happy, housetrained puppy inside four weeks.