Schools of Thought About Paper Training
There are two schools of thought regarding paper training as part of dog toilet training. Some believe that paper training confuses the puppy, since you're encouraging him to use the toilet inside the house at the same time as you're trying to train him to go outside. These purists feel that puppies should be encouraged to relieve themselves only outside the home; they leave no leeway for accidents in the house. They feel that encouraging elimination inside the house in any only delays the achievement of housebreaking.
Others feel that paper training is a realistic step on the path to toilet training your puppy. They believe that accidents inside the house are inevitable and that paper training puppies is a way to keep those accidents contained.
It's true that most puppies younger than three months of age are incapable of exercising complete control of their bowels. You can't be home all the time, and your very young puppy won't be able to hold it in while you're at work or out shopping. Paper training makes the unavoidable accidents easy to clean up.
Paper Training Tips
When paper training puppies, select a small, convenient room with a hard floor that will be easy to clean. Most people select a bathroom or laundry room, because floors in these rooms are tiled or covered in linoleum, which are most resistant to the acids in urine and are easy to clean. Lacquered hardwood floors can be used, but clean up should occur as quickly as possible to prevent damage to the wood.
Most people use ordinary newspapers for paper training. These are easy to come by and affordable. Paper training pads are available at most pet supply stores; these pads absorb and trap moisture and can be ideal for homes without hard floor surfaces or for those concerned about damage to hardwood floors.
During the paper training process, dog potty training should continue consistently. After all, you don't to have to clean up in-house accidents forever. Do your best to prevent elimination inside the house altogether; your puppy should only use the papers when necessary.
Paper Training Technique
Paper training puppies is done in the same way that house training them is. When your puppy shows signs of needing to go, put him on the newspaper, and praise him when he eliminates there. If he has an accident off the paper, clean it up and ignore him. As housebreaking progresses, reduce the size of the newspaper-covered area, and do away with it altogether once your puppy is fully housebroken.