So you're thinking about bringing a new puppy into your home? Congratulations! One of the most important tasks at hand will be to teach your dog how to eliminate out of doors and not in the house: one of the potty training methods that is proven to be most effective is "crate training." Here's more about it.

One of the keys to effective puppy training is to reward your dog for good behavior: positive reinforcement always works better than negative reinforcement. This means that you have to be around a lot, and be willing to put in the time and effort that is necessary to positively reinforce your puppy's good behavior. If you don't have the time or the motivation to put in the intensive work that this entails, then you should choose an older puppy or adult dog that will be much easier to train.

You will need to buy a pet crate that is large enough for your puppy to turn around in comfortably, but not so large that she has room to run around. A crate is NOT to be used for your pet's housing while you are at work: it is a house breaking tool. However, your puppy should never be allowed to run around the house unattended while you are at work. Provide her with a confined area such as a penned area of the kitchen or bathroom where the floors are water and stain resistant.

If you allow her to defecate all over the house while you are gone, crate training will be meaningless.

The principle behind crate training is that a pet does not like to relieve itself in a confined space, and so even very young puppies will learn to "hold it" when they are in the crate. You are in control of when she is let out of the crate to relieve herself, and she will learn to do it in the right place at the right time, and in your presence only.

Positive reinforcement is at the heart of effective crate training. A puppy will learn to associate relieving herself properly with treats and praise from you, extra play time, longer walks, etc. The trick is in the timing.

Start out with crating your puppy for an hour or so, then take her out on a leash and see if she goes. If she does, reward her with praise and treats, etc. After she's had time to play and have fun and romp around your house under your supervision, put her back in the crate again and repeat the process.

Make sure that the crate does not become a negative place of long confinements or punishment. Doing so will have an adverse effect on your puppy, and it will take a long time for her to trust you again and make positive associations with her crate.

Taking the time to train your puppy right will pay off with a long and happy relationship, free from frustrating carpet stains and unpleasant accidents.