One of the first things you will want to do when you bring home your new bichon puppy is to train him or her to eliminate in the right place. The good thing about housetraining is that you are teaching something that your puppy already wants to do. Dogs do not eliminate where they sleep. Even small puppies have been seen leaving their mothers’ sides to eliminate in another spot.

Pick a spot outside where you want your bichon to eliminate. If you take your puppy to the same spot every time, he or she will understand what you want. The odor of the spot will tell the puppy that this is the right place, and dogs like to follow a routine to feel safe and confident. When you first bring your puppy home, take him or her to the proper spot right away and give him or her enough time to eliminate. This can be followed with a treat as a reward for a job well done.

Then bring the puppy in and introduce your new pal to a place where he or she will sleep. This can be a crate large enough for your bichon to turn around in, but not large enough for a designated restroom. Leave the puppy in the crate overnight or when you are away during the day. The puppy will not eliminate in the crate because this is the place where he or she sleeps.

Take the bichon out of the crate in the morning or when you get home and take him or her out to the elimination spot immediately and give a command like, "Do your outside thing." Be consistent about giving the same command every time, so that your puppy will begin to put the words together with the act and learn to eliminate on command.

Elimination will usually take place quickly after you remove him or her from the crate because the puppy has been waiting for some time, so be sure to go outside right away. When you are at home with your puppy, take him or her outside to the proper spot every two hours. It might take some time for your puppy to eliminate, because dogs are less businesslike than people, so you might have to while your puppy explores the yard and sniffs around or plays for awhile first. This is normal. If your puppy goes outside, wanders around, plays for awhile, and then comes back in and eliminates just inside the door, this is not willful disobedience. It just means that the puppy didn’t have enough time to do his or her thing and didn’t realize it was time to come inside so soon. If this happens on a regular basis, try lengthening the time you and your puppy spend outside, or try bringing the puppy in, then going right back outside to give him or her another opportunity.

Training your bichon takes patience and consistency, but in the end it will pay off. If your puppy is still not housetrained after a few weeks, see your veterinarian or a professional trainer for further advice. Enjoy your new friend.