Training a puppyand Relationship DynamicsTraining a puppy the natural way has a tendency to be overlooked, (which is why it is, many times considered to be messy and stressful).
Establishing a natural position of leadership for your puppy (as well as giving him appropriate outlets for normal canine behavior), is crucial during housetraining and in preventing behavior problems later... and it's even simple to put into place.
Unfortunately, this process is frequently overlooked and misunderstood. But your puppy can learn that you're the boss in very logical and gentle ways during his puppy training stages.
Respect cannot be forced but must be earned through interactions and appropriate dynamics of the dog/owner relationship.
Note: NEVER use punitive methods for training a puppy; during puppy potty training or any kind of puppy training. There is no benefit from it and no need for it to achieve quick and successful housetraining.
1.Never lose your temper; it shows that you're not in control. Solve problems in a calm and rational manner. This gives your puppy confidence in you and allows him to trust you. If your puppy is afraid of you or anything you do, that fear slows down the learning process.
2.Your furniture belongs to you. If you let your puppy on the furniture, don't let him do so until YOU say it is ok. Teach him "off", and "up" or whatever command you want to use to let him on the furniture. Without your permission, he is not to get on. (Note: Teaching your puppy...using positive reinforcement only... easy placement commands early is a good preventative for forms of aggression later.)
3.Don't assume it's ok to let your puppy or dog sleep in the bed, or be on the bed as that is the "leader's" sleeping place. Sleeping in your bed puts your puppy on equal authority with you and/or your spouse. Some dogs do ok with this, but with others it can leave the door open for a dominance problem and/or form a habit of actually eliminating in the bed.
4.Don't leave your puppy's food down all the time. You as the leader are responsible for feeding the pack and you control the food. It actually puts STRESS on your puppy or dog that you don't realize when you leave food down all the time.
This isn't the only problem that "free feeding" presents. Free feeding makes potty training harder, can keep your dog from paying attention to your commands and does not provide your dog with the outlet of using his natural predatory behaviors.(When one natural behavior is squelched there has to be another avenue for it. That avenue?... usually stress related behavior problems) Your puppy or dog MUST have appropriate avenues in which to take part in natural canine behavior in order to keep him from becoming a problem.
5. Don't use coddling tones with your puppy. This will work backwards and make your puppy feel insecure. Instead use happy and calm tones to help instill confidence.
6. Don't force your puppy into ANY situation that he shows apprehension about. Even though your puppy must learn to adjust to new experiences during puppy training stages, make sure he's exposed to them in a controlled environment and at a gradual pace that he can handle. (This includes going into the crate.)...
IMPORTANT NOTE The leader bears the burdens- the follower is just happy to be along for the ride. Many dogs have aggression problems, anxiety, or bad behaviors brought on by stress; because they are stressed out and confused about who bears the burden of being the leader.
Many times when unrealistic expectations of possessing human characteristics are placed on a dog he is destined to fail in these situations.
You must be the clear leader in order gently "shape" your dog's behavior in a way that he can understand so you can have a happy, well adjusted and cooperative dog.
Potty training a puppyWhen potty training a puppy it's especially important to only use appropriate methods that are gentle. Using punitive or inappropriate measures during this time will only have bad results for you and your puppy.
There are many common but damaging myths about housetraining and training a puppy floating around out there.
Once bad training is started it can be very difficult to fix later. Even if a puppy appears to be trained in some areas, using the wrong methods for training a puppy could result in irreversible behavior problems or personality quirks in other areas.
Puppies cannot choose the way in which their behavior is shaped, they can only react instinctively to the environment and interactions that are presented to them.
There are actually certain buttons you can push by using a dog's natural drives to easily shape behavior, whether it includes all housetraining or for potty training a puppy. Potty training IS a part of 'training', and it's one of the most important areas of training for your puppy to get right... and quickly.
 
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Using natural dog logic for training a puppy actually makes the housetraining process much easier than you might expect. If you know the right buttons to push, your puppy's training can't help but be a great success.