Probably the single most important thing you need to teach your pup is where it's appropriate to relieve himself. Dogs are regularly returned to shelters and rescues over the issue of puddles or piles on rugs. In order to be successful with housetraining, you must realize that while this is intensive work for a time, it only seems like it takes forever. Once you've accomplished this challenging task, you and your dog can enjoy years of mess-free companionship.