House-training a puppy requires patience, consistency

Dear Cathy: This summer, my family adopted a teacup Shorkiepoo. He was 8 months old when he joined our family, which includes two older dogs. He has mastered peeing on wee-wee pads, but he is inconsistent with his poops on the paper.

He is a happy, playful pooch, but scooping up little poops all over my home is not acceptable. Please advise on correcting this situation. — Lisa, Lido Beach, New York

Dear Lisa: When you’re not home, consider keeping him in an x-pen with his pee pads to prevent accidents. When you are home, focus on training him to relieve himself on a pee pad, which is similar to training a dog to go outside.

After he eats, plays or sleeps — and no less than every two hours — put a leash on him and walk him to the pee pad. Say “go potty,” then wait five minutes. He should pee, and when he does, say a reward word such as “bingo” or click with a clicker to mark the desired behavior and give him a treat.

Afterward, walk away for a few minutes and return to the pee pad again, this time repeat the process, but this time waiting for him to poop. Dogs usually poop in the morning and after meals. You should know his poop schedule within three days. Once you do, you will know when to take him to the pee pad. Do this until he is trained to consistently go on the pads, which might take a few weeks.

If he has an accident, take him back to the pads. You might even carry the poop to the pad and leave it there for a few minutes before tossing, so there is a smell to attract him. Don’t get mad if he has an accident. It takes time for dogs to learn, and they learn as a result of your patient and consistent training.