imo , the best time to correct a dog is as a puppy , a stern no a puppy finds "aversive" ....... i see all these folks talking about the lack of aversive corrections within a pack of wolves , though you will never see anyone claim there is none...... the reason there is little of it , is because it's taken care of when the members were pups ........... i think to miss that time frame makes for the potential for a problem dog ...... when i housebreak a pup , if i catch them peeing on the floor i yell no to try to stop him , pick them up , take them outside , if they go again i praise them , and i clean up the mess ....... the pup apparently associates the no and getting picked up as something they'd like to avoid , i've never had a problem housebreaking a pup , and my dogs are never fearful , timid or spooky ...........