If there's one thing you need when house training a puppy, it's patience. Puppies require near constant supervision. They have little or no control over their bladders, have practically no attention span, and can't possibly learn the commands and tricks you want them to know. Even if a puppy grows quickly, remember that his physical size has little or no relationship to mental capacity.

It is not uncommon for a six-month-old puppy to have occasional accidents in the house. When he does, remember that he cannot help himself. He really hasn't done anything wrong. Most two-year-old human children still need to wear diapers, and just be thankful your puppy will be potty trained well before he turns two!

When you are home, you should take your puppy outside every 45 minutes to an hour. This may seem like a lot, but puppies can go anywhere between eight and 12 times each day. He needs to learn that the outdoors are an acceptable place to go to the bathroom. After he goes, give him lots of attention and speak in a very kind voice. This will show him that going outside is the best way to please his master.

House Training A Puppy Does Not Include Punishment
An outdated school of thought says that when a puppy goes in the house, you should lead him to it, have him sniff it, and either rub his nose in it or give him a whack. Doing so will be detrimental to both your puppy's psychology and the master-dog relationship. Your puppy will really have no idea why you are hitting him. Yes, he will smell the feces, and yes, he will feel the smack. If the smack means anything to the puppy, however, he will probably infer that he should never smell the feces.

Because the smack confuses your dog, he'll grow to fear you and other people. This can lead to aggression, timidity, and distrust. That's the last thing you want. Puppies, like human infants, need love and affection more than anything else. The bond you develop when he is young will be the foundation of his entire learning and socialization.