The reason that puppies bite is completely natural – they do so they can explore what is around them as well as sometimes to reduce the pain of their new teeth. Sometimes they also just do it to avoid being bored too.

Some people would advise you to just physically hurt the dog when it bites you to make it learn but this is definitely NOT what you should do. Not only will this m-harm the relationship between you and your dog but it can also make things worse. Dogs also bite if they are in fear so they are more likely to bite if you keep hurting them.

In the wild if a dog bites another dog too hard the dog will scream to let it know they are being too rough. If you give off a human scream whenever the dog bites you and turn away to ignore it then the dog will begin to learn that it is wrong to do. When the dog stops biting you praise it once so that it knows it has done well.

You should also try and let your puppy socialise with other puppies when it is safe to do so. Doing this will allow it to meet other dogs and see what is acceptable and what isn’t. This will also help your dog to be more confident around other dog and be better in social situations such as on walks in the park.

1. Don’t be impatient! Most people don’t realise the potty training a dog can take a long time, so you need to be patient in the process. If you get angry and frustrated the dog will be able to sense this and it will make your job harder.
2. Using dog training pads is a great way of making sure that the dog knows where to go and can also help you to see that you are making progress each day. Read our article on dog training pads for more information about how to do them.
3. Always use positive dog training and not negative. This means that when your dog does something right you should praise him but you shouldn’t try and punish him if he makes a mistake. This can really harm your relationship with the dog and make house training more difficult than it would have been if you’d had a bit more patience. Especially make sure that you don’t physically punish your dog for mistakes as this won’t help – dogs have a long memory.
4. If your dog has an accident make sure you clean it up thoroughly. Dogs like to go in the same place and they find that place via smell so you need to make sure that dog can’t smell anything on the floor where it has been previously.

These are just the basics of getting your dog to be potty trained but you should contact a professional if you don’t start to see results within a reasonable amount of time. Housebreaking a dog isn’t easy but it is essential if you are going to enjoy having your dog.

To start with your puppy will probably go to the toilet in the house in the same place. You shouldn’t tell your dog off – it doesn’t know any better. That’s why your using the puppy training pads after all! When you find out where your dog is starting to go everyday you can put the pad there. When the dog goes to the toilet on the pad make sure you praise him so that he knows that it’s the right thing to do.

Next, every time the dog goes to the toilet you should start to move the pad away and closer to the door. As you do this the dog should always go on the pad and you should praise him every time he does. At this point you should be only praising your dog if it goes onto the pad.

Eventually you’ll get to the door and you can start to put the pad outside. You’ll start to realise when the dog or puppy needs the toilet so you can move the pad before he goes. Once the dog starts to go outside you should praise him whether he goes onto the pad or not –after all you want him to know that anywhere outside is OK.

Once you’ve got this far you’re nearly there! Leave the pad outside (although you need to make sure it is secured down). Try to get the pad to an area of the garden where you want the dog to go to the toilet – leaving it right outside the back door probably isn’t a good idea.

Once your dog has learnt to be potty trained you can then get rid of the pad altogether. By this point he should know the he should only go to the toilet outside.

Remember, the key to using a dog training pad effectively is praise not negative feedback. Let your dog know when he’s doing something well and you’ll find the process much easier than if you try and punish the dog. Remember that when you first get the dog he doesn’t know where he should go to the toilet – it is your responsibility to train him; you shouldn’t have expectations of getting a trained puppy when you buy it!