What is the best way to go about potty training a puppy? What technique works best?

I just got a Shih-tzu puppy, she's now 10 weeks old. I'm about to move into a new house, and I want to have her semi-potty trained before we get into the new place. Is it too early to start teaching her?

well when it goes on a rug say bad dog and don't reward it but play out side for a while and when your dog goes to the bathroom out side say good dog and reward it with a good pet rub or dog treat. Also good luck with your new dog!

its not too early the best technique is that whenever she wakes up take her out immediatly that works best for me and later when she has to go she will go to the door

Well since my dog and your dog are small and have small bladders and can have accidents i use these things called puppy pads. there not expensive and they work real well they just potty on the mats and your done and its worked real well for us

Without question the most effective way to housebreak your dog is to crate train it. There are dozens of books and trainers that will give you more information, but the basics are this:Eating or drinking stimulates the puppy's need to go. The puppy will not soil its own sleeping place. Consistent praise or punishment will imprint in the puppy's mind what is appropriate or inappropriate behavior. Don't forget that the dog's mom also praises an corrects the puppy, using "dog language," i.e. a growl or the mom using her mouth to pin the puppy from the neck, or licks and squeaks for encouragement or praise.To crate train, initially when the dog is alone at home, when you're sleeping, or when you can't watch the dog, put her in the crate. When she is let out of the crate, she goes straight outside- you should watch and praise her when she goes. Right after eating, she goes outside and goes and gets praise. If in either instance she doesn't go, she goes back in the crate for 15 minutes. Then go outside again, repeating the cycle until she goes. It should only take a few repetitions of this cycle until you don't have to watch her outside- leave her out for a few minutes, then let her in.When she's inside, she MUST be watched. If she goes, a firm "NO" is given, pick her up by the scruff of his neck and put her outside. If she gets away with peeing or pooping in the house, she doesn't learn. There's a balance between prevention (letting her out so she doesn't even have the urge when inside) and correction (you don't want to punish her a dozen times, but a couple of corrections aren't bad because it gives her guidance as to what is proper behavior).

all puppies have small bladders so the breed doesn't really matter; if you start by giving conflicting signals , sometimes outside , sometimes inside on the puppy pad , it will make it harder in the long run; you want to train to let the dog know , inside is not the place; will there be accidents , of course, can you reprimand for prior mistakes , no ; you can only try to prevent future ones; the key to good potty training is you. If you pay attention, and learn the signals and take her out immediately, she will get the message; a new house might bring on some setback b/c of the new environment; be patient with her she is a baby; don't leave her unattended; an unattended pup is just an opportunity for her do her business inside if not supervised; praise for good behavior; don't pull, tug, smack, stick her nose in it etc; these are just fear tactics and don't work. You don't want a dog to fear you ; you want a dog that knows whose in charge and sets the limits and respect you for it and abide by house rules. This can be done with patience, time and understanding and all will be happier for it. I have had several litters of pups and no it is not too early; all of our pups were housebroken earlier and with no pup pads. Very fiirst thing out in the morning and last at night; the more that you take her out , even better. Enjoy your new puppy and new home.

Remember: dogs are not born knowing they go potty outside, not on your rug.Crate train and when she is not in her crate watch her every second. Dogs go through a routine before they eliminate, some sniff, some circle... when you see that pick her up and run outside and say hurry up (whatever you want the cue to be). If she goes outside, praise her ton. Not just a "good dog", throw a party, run around in circles, give her a piece of cooked hotdog.Obviously you must take her outside often, I would say every hour, but dogs must go after they eat sleep and exercise. Take her out, say hurry up, when she goes praise and go inside.If you take your eyes off of her and she goes and you don't see her doing it, that is your fault, do not punish her because she will not know why she is in trouble. If you catch her in the act, make a loud noise to stop her and rush her outside. Praise her after she goes. Don’t smack her if she pees in the house, she may just try to hold it forever and develop bladder problems, something you really don’t want. Don’t correct after the fact. If the dog is corrected after the fact, it will not connect the correction with the behavior, and will begin to think that corrections are random, and that the owner cannot be trusted. This results in a bad relationship and a dog that does not connect corrections, which are believed random, with bad behaviors even when they are applied in time. When she does have an accident, be sure to clean it up with natures miracle or something made specifically for urine stains or she will go back to that spot to eliminate again.I cannot tell you how helpful a crate has been in housebreaking my puppy. He has never had an accident in his crate and when I get him out of his crate we go directly outside (I carry him) and he pees.I do not recommend pee pads or paper training. When you use pee pads, you are teaching your dog to go potty in your house. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my dog peeing anywhere in my house, pee pad or no pee pad.http://www.leerburg.com/housebrk.htm...http://www.perfectpaws.com/crt.html...http://www.cuhumane.org/topics/crate.htm... http://www.clickersolutions.com/blog/blog07.htm

well i know some one else said it but crate training is the best i know because i have had over 10dogs in my life and we crate trained all every one was really good.here is another way i know i have a dog now that is 2 and he has a brother that belongs to a friend of ours my dog has never done anything. asfor the other one he was not crate trained and he ate through dry wall pees every weher (still) and bits.so i would defenatly recomend crate training u can get books on it at your local pet store.

Never say bad dog, to start with! Watch her, when you see her getting ready to squat, grab her and put her on the newspapers near the door, that she will normally go outside, when the need arises. (Never place the newspapers near her food). Once you have this down, hang a bell from the door knob...this really works...dogs love to go out, show her the bell and ring it every time you take her out side. Soon, she will ring the bell to take you out.

You should be using a crate. The fastest way to housebreaking puppies is to start by confining the puppy to a small area. The crate serves this purpose because it brings out your puppy's "den instinct" and provides for a sense of security and well-being. It also acts similar to the way a crib or playpen would for a human baby-- it keeps the pup out of trouble when you are not around to supervise. Click my source link to continue :

It's definitely not too early to start training her. I crate trained mine. They did not spend hrs in crates, but they slept in crates over night and were in crates after play periods. I at first took them out first thing in the morning and praised them when they went outside. I also found an area that I took them to repeatedly so they got used to their outdoor "spot". When they had an accident I said "NO!" and took them outdoors to their spot where they would eventually, usually anyway, squat and at least squeeze out a few drops showing they got the idea and I would again praise them. I made sure that during play periods I watched for sniffing and circling indicators of a pee about to happen and scooped them up to take them to their outside spot before this could happen. Then they went in the crate for a few hrs. Immediately as I opened the door I scooped them up and took them out to their spot. Repeated the play period scenario as well as feeding watering and out one more time before kenneling them back up. When I went to bed that was their last potty and for a few hrs before this they had no more food or water unless they had played hard and needed a few laps. Then, if they woke up in the night whimpering, I would take them outside. This doesn't last long because dogs gain more control of their bladder as they grow. When using a crate for training, don't put a pad or towel or bed inside as it will often be used to pee on. Get a crate that allows for some growth that the full grown dog will be able to stand and turn around in but that is about it. A crate that is too big might defeat the purpose of utilizing a kennel to train them. Dogs do not like to soil their immediate surrounding unless there is something to soil ON. That is why a kennel cab/crate helps in training. GL with your pup! After a few weeks of doing what I describe here you should be able to extend their play time and shorten their time in the kennel. Later your dog will probably like their kennel. My dogs do. One sleeps in it from time to time with the door left open.

Crate training works very well, especially with smaller dogs. They will not go "potty" where they eat or sleep. The trick is when you take them out of the crate, to take them immediately outside to do their business. "Good dog" praises, treats and attention when they do go outside. Downside to crate training is, when you take and leave them out, they need to be watched constantly. Keeping them on a leash with you will 1. be there so you can keep an eye on them. 2. Let the dog know that you are still in charge. And the dog HAS to know you are in charge. Shih-tzu's can be stubburn, but all they really want to do is make their human happy. So be very liberal with the praise when she does potty outside. And walk her often..little dog..little bladder. As she gets older, she will be able to hold it longer, but as a puppy, she will need to go more often. If you don't crate train her, you can use those puppy pads, but I only use them in an emergency. I trained my 2 shih-tzu's by taking them for walks often, and as they got used to the schedule, I would lengthen the time between walks. If I left the house, I would gate them in my kitchen (tile floor) so if they did go, I could clean it up easily. IF they went inside, I would be angry at what they did, the mess, the wet floor, NOT the dog. If anyone heard me, they would think I was nuts..but as I was cleaning up, I would angrily throw down the paper towels or whatever I was cleaning up with, and vocally act very displeased with cleaning it up. On the same token, I would be extremely pleased when they went potty outside. Praise, treats and all sorts of attention. It didn't take long for them to understand what made me happy and what made me unhappy. They chose the happy mommie!! Another option is to use a diaper type pantie. They are available in most pet stores. I call them Prissy Pants..but others have other names for them. It is a cloth pantie that usually has velcro on the sides, and a hole for the tail. You put either the disposable pads that you can buy in them or I use any "pantieliner" or Depends to absorb the urine. My dogs were not that fond of them, and it was an added incentive for them to be good. I think they are better than the wee-wee pads, because the dog is aware and a bit uncomfortable with them. From my own experience with them, my little boy never wet his, and my little girl wet hers maybe 3 times. I think they are a bit safer and easier to use than the wee-wee pads. She won't miss, and it is always there. Whatever method you chose, or a combination of different methods, it is never too early to start. If she is almost trained, but has accidents once and a while, the pants will protect your floors and/or carpets.And finally, if she does have an accident there is also a product called Natures Miracle to clean up any mess. Available in most pet stores. It is an enzyme that eats/kills/destroys the urine. No urine, no scent, less of a chance of it happening again. It is never too early to potty train a puppy.