She recommended keeping a dog in a crate when owners are not actively playing with the pet or watching it. A crate gives the dog his own space where nobody bothers him, and he can sleep and play. Patient owners will understand that accidents happen, but continue to praise a pet when it behaves appropriately. Rewards play an important role in house training because they reinforce the pet and encourage it to repeat the positive behavior. Rewards can be in the form of food treats, or they can be a rewarding tone of voice, or petting and showing affection to the animal.
Rewards teach pets which behaviors are good or bad.
Yeatman said negative disciplines are sometimes necessary, and she recommended using a quick negative sound to let an animal know it has done something displeasing to its owner. Yeatman said dogs may be confused if they hear the word in another context. It is the trainer's responsibility to minimize confusion. Conflicting messages add to confusion for the animal and slow the learning curve. Dogs are really smart, and most of the time they really want to please.