Dog toilet training is probably the most important training that you will ever do with your dog
. Getting a puppy or an older dog housebroken will save masses in cleaning bills, effort and embarrassment. But it is important to remember it is also hard work.
A lot of puppies have weak bladders, through no fault of their own. They are often unaware they need to relieve themselves until moments before they do, so it takes time for them to build up the bladder control needed for proper toilet training.
To paper or not to paper?
One of the most common methods of toilet training dogs is to put down paper, or even cat litter boxes, for them to relieve themselves on. You start by training them to use that, inside the house, and then move it outside so they grasp that it is outside that they need to go.
A lot of experts feel this to be a flawed method. Why?
Dogs will always try to 'go' outside of where they live they only use their home if they have to (slightly different for puppies bought from pet shops that keep them in a cage). With the paper method you are teaching it to break it's nature, and then teaching it that what you taught it was wrong.
Better then to constantly be teaching it that outside the home is the place to do it. And that involves not using paper or cat litter.
That is not to say that using the paper method is always the wrong choice. If there are times that you are leaving your dog and puppy on it's own for any length of time (because you both work for example) then it is best that you do teach it to use the paper or tray when dog toilet training - That way the dog will always have somewhere to relieve itself when you are not in the house and it has to go.