If your new puppy makes a mistake in the house, it's really your mistake. You shouldn't give your pup the opportunity to pee or poop in the house. Always watch him carefully so if he does start to squat in the house, you can scoop him up and whisk him to the spot where you want him to eliminate (presumably outside). Better yet, learn to recognize the signs that indicate he's going to squat, and take him outside before he gets that far. For most puppies, those signs are sniffing and circling.

In the house, your pup should be either with you (perhaps even tethered to your belt or to a heavy piece of furniture), in his ex-pen or safe area, or in his crate. Under no circumstances should he be loose in another room while you're in the house. If he is, he can eliminate at will and miss out on the valuable lesson you give him by interrupting him and taking him outside.

When he eliminates outside, reward him immediately with a food treat. That makes him understand that peeing outside allows him to relieve his bladder and get something delicious, whereas peeing inside provides only relief.

Setting Schedules and Routines

The best way to make sure your pup learns to eliminate in the appropriate place is to put him on a schedule. Since what goes in must come out, if you schedule his food and water intake, you'll have a better idea of when he'll have to eliminate and can get him outside in advance.

You also need to know the times he'll almost always have to potty — for example, when he first wakes up, a half hour after eating, and following a big play session. These potty preferences are individual. You need to observe your particular puppy and figure out his unique schedule.

Feeding and Watering Schedule

Depending on the age and size of your puppy, you'll probably feed him three times a day (or perhaps four, if he's quite young). Try to make those times the same every day. Post the schedule on your refrigerator, if you have to. When you feed your pup, make sure you also put out water, but don't make water freely available during housetraining.

By sticking with a set pattern of feeding and elimination, your poodle's body will be in sync with your schedule. When you take him out at the same times every day, he'll know when it's okay to go to the bathroom.

Putting your dog on a feeding and potty schedule is just as important for a not-yet-housetrained adult dog as it is for a puppy. The only difference is that an adult will require fewer trips outside, since adults eat fewer meals a day and should be able to hold it longer.

Elimination Association

If your smart poodle puppy knows he gets to eat or play after he goes potty outside, he'll be more likely to do his business on the schedule. Take him out first thing in the morning, reward him for pottying, then bring him inside for breakfast. Let him rest for a half hour or so after he's eaten (or whatever his individual schedule is), take him out again, reward him with a treat for pot-tying, then bring him in. He'll be empty, so it's a good time to play with him. Once he figures out that there's no play or breakfast (or lunch or dinner) until after pottying, he'll be anxious to get the pot-tying out of the way so he can do something enjoyable.