Before I begin, the ‘good boy’ name is only an example for ease of writing in this article and ‘good girl’ or any other words of praise may be used in place of ‘good boy’ throughout this article.

The god boy command is not so much a command as a general consistent learning or rewarding exercise, the aim of this exercise is to get your dog to associate ‘good boy’ with times when he has done something well and is rewarded, this will make your dog happy and glad that they have done good for you.

A lot of dog breeds actually enjoy performing tasks for their owner and it’s what they are used to and aim to achieve, these dogs are generally dog with a working background and breed past, such as sheepdogs and collies, this makes the good boy command a lot more rewarding for them and a good reason to perform well.

This exercise can be taught as soon as you get your puppy or dog and can be a natural reaction to good behavior by many already, also making the command easier to remember and be consistent with.

The good boy command is easy and is taught along with rewards you give your dog, if your dog behaves well you should praise them to get them to do the same command again, this is common sense in dog training and the ‘good boy’ command only ads to this so you are able to give your dog a different, emotional type of praise on the rare occasions when you haven’t got treats on your person or to hand (although not recommended but it does happen).

So when your dog behaves well and has deserved a treat or other form of reward, recite ‘good boy’ to them in an excited and impressed voice and give your dog cuddles and love. This over time will be seen as another form of reward that means just as much to your dog as treats do.

The good boy command gives more emotion to your rewards and gives your dog a new form of praise to aim for thus enhancing the relationship between you and your dog, making this a very important command or reward.

Potty training your new puppy is not always an easy task. Some pups are easy to train while others seem to take much longer. It will take a lot of patience, but your dog will learn.

The newspaper method seems to be the best way for a dog to learn. A space of his own where he has his food, water, toys and bed is ideal. Cover the entire area with newspaper. When you have to leave him home, shut him in this area. After a while, he will start using one spot on the newspapers. Start removing the other pieces of newspaper a bit at a time. Soon, “his” area will become just that one spot. As he gets older, he will be able to wait until you get home to go. Don’t punish your dog if he misses the newspaper. He won’t know what you are punishing him for.

“Puppy pads” are a good alternative to old newspapers. They are a lot more sanitary and they are much easier to clean up.

Always take your dog outside (to his designated area) as soon as you get home. She needs to know that outside is her potty area. When you are at home, spend as much time with her as you can and watch her closely. She will show signs of needing to “go” by getting restless, turning in circles and sniffing out areas. Take her outside immediately. Praise her lavishly when she does her business outside. It is also helpful to carry treats with you when you are first training her to potty outside.

Take your puppy outside every 45 minutes or so because you may not always be able to tell when he needs the “bathroom.” Again, praise him and show him how excited you are that he is being a “good” boy. You will not need to go outside with her after a while. Once she knows where she is supposed to go, she will always go to that spot.

You can show disapproval when your puppy goes in the house but do not — I repeat — do NOT ever hit him. He won’t learn any faster by using cruel methods such as these.

Some dogs wet themselves when they get excited about something or when they are especially happy to see someone. This is called submissive urinating and can be quite a problem with young dogs. It can be especially embarrassing if Fido “goes” on a visitor to your home. This type of bathroom training is not as easy to do as normal training. Potty training your dog will help him know he should only go outside.

There is no set age when you dog is considered to be properly potty trained. In fact, a puppy can’t be considered fully trained until it is at least six months old. And, some dogs will be older still.