To get your message across, the puppy's action should always be met with the same reaction from you and other household members, whether it is behavior you want to encourage or behavior you want to correct. It can't be okay to stick its nose in the kitty litter box one day and forbidden the next. For your little dog, consistency is paramount when it comes to training. This means always using the same command for a particular behavior. You should also give the command itself, without extraneous conversation. It's “Off, Suzy” not “I told you get off — now don't jump on me, Suzy!” And you say it once. If you keep repeating it, your dog will think she has several chances to obey, so what's the hurry?

Use a firm voice for correcting unwanted behavior and a cheerful upbeat tone for encouraging the desired behavior. Be generous and loving in your praise when your puppy does something right. Again, never hit the dog with your hand or a newspaper. This is counterproductive to positive training and if you lose your temper, you could seriously injure your small dog. Never discipline it for something unless you catch it in the act. Dogs don't understand why you are all worked up about a mess they made hours ago or a recent report you just heard on their past bad behavior. They connect the disciplinary action only with what they are doing the moment when it occurs.

Repetition and reinforcement are the keys to effective training. If you slack off, your dog will forget the rules, and you will have to break it of its bad habits all over again.