![\"Michelle](\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Michelle-D.-Milliman.jpg\")
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Photo by Michelle D. Milliman.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n This article is part 2 of a behavioral-training series that Dr. Palazzolo has written for the <\/i>Long Beach Post. It\u2019s surely one that will be dear to readers\u2019 hearts and hardwood floors.<\/i><\/p>\n The goal of house-training a puppy is to have the little guy learn to eliminate only in a specific place, such as the backyard or papers on the patio. House-training puppies can begin as early as five weeks old. Depending upon the individual puppy and your ability to consistently work the program, it will take several weeks to several months to accomplish. Be patient! Your puppy gradually develops both the physiological (muscle) control and the behavioral habits that lead to a fully house-trained dog.<\/p>\n There is a behavior called submissive urination<\/i> that is often confused with a puppy\u2019s inability to become house-trained. Submissive urination, especially common in females, is when a puppy becomes overly excited or stressed when greeting what he or she considers higher-ranking people or dogs. The puppy will leak urine and may roll over as well. It is important not to scold the puppy for this, because the problem will get worse. Instead, simply ignore the puppy, make your greetings less effusive, and don\u2019t hover or bend over him or her. The puppy will grow out of it. In the meantime, you might be wise to pick a greeting place that is not carpeted so that cleanup will be easier!<\/p>\n There are two basic approaches to house-training: training the puppy to always go outside to eliminate and \u201cpaper training,\u201d which means that the puppy will learn to go on newspapers or pads sold at most pet stores. These two approaches are very different. In fact, if you start out paper-training and then decide to switch your dog to an outdoor potty area, you may run into more difficulty than if you had started out training for the outdoors from the beginning.<\/p>\n It is very important to establish a specific location where your house-training pads will go. Pick a location in an area of the house that is least used by your family\u2014a laundry room, for example\u2014but one that is still easy for your puppy to get to. Choosing an area that is least used for family activities will help the puppy learn not to soil the pack\u2019s living quarters!<\/p>\n If outdoor elimination is your goal, it is highly recommended that you start training this from the beginning. Many people don\u2019t realize how easy it is to teach your puppy to go in one particular area of your yard instead of using your entire yard as a potty area. Use a houseline\u2014a light rope used for seizing\u2014to escort your pup to the designated area.<\/p>\n![\"Houseline\"](\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Houseline.jpg\")
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