184. Time Out. Watch for sniffing, turning, circling, squatting in the paper-training of a puppy.

Toilet Training Your First Puppy in Singapore

For the first 7 days, watch like a hawk. If the puppy sniffs, turns and circles, bring him to the newspapers. Say "pee here." Praises and food rewards.

Unfortunately, sniffing may not be a sure sign. Some owners spank the puppy, make him smell the urine or poop and bring him to the papers. This is a practice stated during my research on puppy toilet training.



It will take some years of owner education to change to praise and food reward method, called positive reinforcement training.

In this practice of spanking, the owner will note that the puppy will flee and hide under the bed or shelving after having an accident "purposely." The owner thinks that the puppy feels "guilty" and therefore runs away. The puppy just cannot understand why the owner looks angry but can sense fear.

So, better take cover. If there is a single and a double bed, one owner told me that the Yorkshire Terrier hid under the double bed. There, it would be difficult for the owner to grab him. With time, the puppy is trained. But it stresses the owner and the puppy and may take a much longer period of time.

Have a time out. In this method, the owner puts the puppy in a confined area without shouting or spanking the puppy. Clear up the mess. Neutralise the urine smell on the floor. Be vigilant the next time. It is not easy as couples work 8 hours and still have to work hard to toilet train a puppy.

Some can do it. Some have less patience.

Catch him before he pees on poops. Watch for signs of sniffing, turning, squatting and circling. Success in paper training depends on your observation of puppy behaviour.