1. Training a Bichon Frise to eliminate in a designated place is actually not difficult. As long as we guide it patiently and reward it at the right moments, success is only a matter of time.
2. Control the amount of food and water, because whatever goes in will eventually need to come out. Remember that when and where the dog eliminates is something the owner can help regulate, and feeding on a schedule naturally makes elimination partly scheduled as well.
3. Once you have chosen a good-quality dog food, do not keep changing it. Many low-quality foods contain fillers with little nutritional value, and although dogs can eat them safely, they may increase the number of times the dog eliminates each day. Sudden changes in diet should also be avoided.
4. When you are not at home, a crate or pen can be used to limit the puppy's activity range. This is one of the best ways to reduce accidents around the house. A crate can also be useful, but it should never be used for overly long confinement, because if the dog is locked in for too many hours, it may end up eliminating inside the crate.
5. Use treats as rewards. This is one of the most effective methods, but many people do not make enough use of it when teaching dogs not to urinate indoors.
6. Establish a bathroom ritual. Each time, use the same door to go out and bring the dog to the same patch of grass or toilet area. Then wait patiently until the puppy eliminates, praise it with ?Good dog,? and reward it. Do not overtalk and distract it. Once you begin to predict when the dog needs to go, you can also add a cue such as ?Hurry up? or ?Go potty.? After the dog finishes, praise it and offer a treat.
7. Gradually let your dog take on more responsibility. Bring it to the toilet area and leave it there until it finishes. Then let it walk a little farther on its own the next time, until eventually it understands the whole process independently. One thing to remember is that you must be sure the puppy has really eliminated before moving on, or you may get an unpleasant surprise later.
8. Be willing to get up for your puppy during the night. A puppy under about three months old may still need nighttime toilet trips. If you simply let it urinate indoors, the whole training process will take longer.
9. If the puppy has an accident outside the designated place, never punish it. That will only make it afraid to eliminate in front of you in the future.
10. Once the dog grows to about five or six months old, it can begin controlling elimination more like an adult dog. If accidents can be reduced while it is still young, the dog will become much easier to manage later on.