Catching him in the act

When you catch him eliminating in the house, do something to stop him. Make a startling noise but don’t scare him. Immediately take him to his bathroom spot, praise him and give him a treat if he finishes eliminating there.

Remember one important rule: don’t punish your puppy for eliminating in the house. If you find a soiled area, do not yell or scream at him. Do nothing but clean it up. Taking him to the spot and scolding him, or any other punishment or discipline, will only make him afraid of you or afraid to eliminate in your presence. Animals don’t understand punishment after the event, even if it’s only seconds later. Besides, punishment will do more harm than good.

You have to clean the area for another important reason (apart from the obvious one) if you don’t clean the area, your puppy will be highly motivated to continue soiling in areas that smell like urine or faeces.