"The importance of thorough housebreaking cannot be overemphasized, because anything less erodes the relationship between dog and owner. Some breeds are more difficult to housebreak than others, but all healthy dogs are able to learn this basic lesson.

"There are two methods of housebreaking. One is accomplished directly, and the other uses paper training as an intermediate stage. Direct housebreaking is preferable by far, but it may be difficult if you do not have ready access to a yard or other place for the dog to use.

"To housebreak a dog directly, follow a simple set of rules. The puppy must be allowed frequent access to the outdoors, and given a chance to urinate and defecate before being brought back inside. Once inside, you have two options. One is to restrict the puppy to a certain place in the house, such as the kitchen, while you keep a close eye on it. The other is to place the puppy in a comfortable but enclosed living and sleeping ... crate, until you can supervise its activities. In either case, the puppy will be limited to a small area in which to play and sleep, an area that it will naturally be reluctant to soil.

"When accidents happen, mildly chastise the puppy and immediately take it to a familiar outdoor place. Young puppies need to eliminate often, so be sure to go outside frequently in the early days--right after each feeding and any time you suspect there's a need. The necessary outings will eventually be reduced, but control develops slowly.

"If you think that crates are cruel, rest assured that they are not when they are used judiciously. Many dogs appreciate having a designated space of their own, and certainly it is kind to accomplish housebreaking quickly and efficiently. Most housebreaking problems originate with the softhearted owner who lets an untrained puppy have free run of the house. The puppy then falls into the habit of soiling the floors and furniture, and for years afterward, may be subjected to constant corrections. If you do use a crate, make sure it is big enough. A dog should be able to stand up and turn around in the crate. And never leave a dog in a crate all day. Give your puppy plenty of attention and playtime both in and out of the confinement area.

"Some apartment dwellers have a harder time with housebreaking because they can't get outside as often as necessary. Therefore, they may opt to use paper training as an intermediate step to full housebreaking.

"To paper train a dog, begin by covering the entire floor of one room (preferably a small room such as the kitchen) with several layers of newspaper and confine the puppy to that area. Replace soiled newspapers with fresh ones as necessary. After a day or two, leave a small corner of the room bare. If the puppy chooses the bare corner to urinate or defecate, give a mild correction and place the puppy on the newspaper. But remember, a correction is useful only if you catch the dog in the act. Never drag the puppy over to a soiled area and then scold it. Dogs are simply not able to understand what you are trying to teach them in that situation. They will not associate the correction with the housebreaking accident. If you cannot catch the puppy in the act, simply clean the mess and be patient with your dog.

"As the puppy grasps the idea of the paper, gradually decrease the amount of covered floor until you are left with a papered space equivalent to two full newspaper sheets. Allow the puppy to use that area for a little while as you start reinforcing the idea of eliminating outdoors. When the puppy seems to understand that the...[outdoors] is the proper place for elimination, remove the papers. During this transition time, watch carefully for any indication that the pup needs to go out, such as frantically searching for the papers [or going to the door] and respond immediately with a walk outside [on a leash]."