We get several complaints from the owners that their pup relieves in their absence or in a secluded spot when no one’s watching. Here’s how to handle this situation.

• Start toilet training as soon as your pup reaches home.
• Take the pup to the designated place after he wakes up from sleep or after food.
• Whenever your pup is doing his job at the wrong place, say a loud ‘NO’.
• Take the pup to where he should do it.
• Timing is very important; there is no use in pointing at the pee later.
• Give him a treat if he does his business at the right place. A treat may be anything easily available – a piece of biscuit.
  Remember treat goes into the mouth while the pup is peeing, not before or later.
• Do not use that particular treat for anything else.
• Be patient and positive. On a continuous practice, the pup understands that if he dirties inside, he gets a ?NO?. But if he goes outside to pee, he gets a treat. The whole thing looks very simple but needs patience and practice.
  (Amrut Sridhara Hiranya is a canine behaviourist trained at Unitec Auckland, New Zealand. He runs Dog GuruKul in Bangalore).