House Training

Dogs are not born knowing not to go in the house. They need to be taught the proper place to "do their business". For them, carpeting is as good as grass! The key is to manage the situation so the dog can't make a mistake

Successful house training has four components:

1.      Crate your puppy when he's not actively supervised. Make sure the crate is large enough for your puppy to turn around in but not large enough that he can go to the bathroom at one end and sleep in the other. Dogs try to avoid eliminating where they lie. If the crate is too large, try making it smaller by putting some type of barrier up that the puppy can't chew through. Also, absorbent bedding may cause the puppy to eliminate in its crate. If this happens just remove the bedding and try again.

2.      If you know when it went in, you have a good idea of when it will come out. Schedule mealtimes (three times per day is fine at first; eventually you will want to decrease it to two times per day). If your puppy doesn't finish his meal within 20 minutes put the bowl away until the next feeding time. After he gets on schedule, he will usually need to defecate within 15 minutes after he eats. You can also restrict the amount of water your puppy drinks until he is completely housetrained. Make sure to get the puppy plenty of water but don't leave it down to be drunk freely, especially when crated. Puppies need to urinate approximately 10 to 30 minutes after they drink. Take your puppy out at the following times:

a.       Right after waking in the morning

b.      After a vigorous play session (watch carefully-sometimes it's during!)

c.       After naps

d.      10 to 30 minutes after he is water

e.       Within 15 minutes after he eats

3.      Use positive reinforcement when he goes outside! Be sure to pop a treat into his mouth the second he finishes urinating or defecating. In this way your training will go a little more quickly. Praise enthusiastically and treat at the last drip or drop

a.       If you think he has to go and he doesn't pee or poop, put him in his crate with a chew toy for about 15 minutes and then try again

b.      If he has an accident in the house, don't punish him! This will only serve to frighten your puppy. He will begin to feel that it is dangerous to go to the bathroom with you there. Remember, it is not your puppy's fault if he has an accident. You were not paying enough attention.

c.       You must be outside with your puppy to apply reinforcement. It does not work if you're inside the house and only praise him when he comes back in. The puppy only understands that you want him to come to you and will not make the connection between your praising him and his eliminating in the proper place.

d.      It may help to designate a certain area of the yard so he knows what you want when you take him there, but you must keep it clean. Always clean up the area after the puppy has defecated.

e.       Another good idea is to say "go potty" or some other phrase just as the puppy is eliminating. Eventually the puppy will make the association between the phrase you choose and what he is supposed to do. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have the dog eliminate on command?

4.      Clean any accidents with an enzymatic odor eliminator. There are many products on the market to choose from which actually eat away at the source of the odor. If the puppy and smell where he's gone before, he will more likely do so again in future. Once the pattern is established it will become very difficult habit to break. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Paper or pee pad training may actually hinder you rather than help. Once the dog learns to go in the house it may become very hard to break the habit. Unless you have no other choice, use the above suggestions.

Remember that puppies have very little bladder control. Don't expect your puppy to be completely housetrained until he is at least six months old. Small puppies cannot be expected to hold it for entire eight hour day so come home at lunchtime, have a friend or neighbor let them out, or get a dog sitter/walker to come in the middle of the day.

Set your puppy out to be successful. Every time he eliminates in the house is one more notch against you. But every time he gets a treat for eliminating outside behavior becomes more likely to be repeated.

"Actively supervise" means just that. Watch your puppy just like you would an infant in your care. You must keep a close eye when he is loose in the house. It is always best to keep them in the same room with you so they cannot go around the corner and eliminate when you're not watching. Baby gates are wonderful for this. If you are reading a book, on the phone, texting, watching TV, or engrossed in any other activity, you are not watching your puppy! Just like any human child, you must watch your puppy every moment. It is the only way you will know when he may need to go outside. Take him out immediately, praise and treat as soon as he finishes.

If you take him out and he doesn't go, and you're pretty sure you need to, put him back in his crate for 5 to 10 minutes and then try again. Don't assume he didn't need to go and then give him the run of the house only to have him have an accident. You would be setting up your puppy to fail and you would have missed another opportunity to reinforce him for eliminating in the right place.

"Umbilical cording" can be very helpful. It will keep your puppy close to you and keep you constantly reminded of where he is. Get a leash of 6 feet or more in loop around your belt. In this way your puppy will be constantly attached to you. He can't get far away from him and he certainly can't leave your sight.

Another great tool is a rolled up newspaper. When your puppy has an accident in the house, pick up the newspaper and hit yourself repeatedly over the head saying, "I forgot to watch my puppy!" Again, every time your puppy has an accident in the house, it was your mistake.

Only put food and water down at scheduled times. Do not leave it down all day because you won't know when the puppy last ate or drank and you will not know his schedule of elimination. Take the water up two hours before the puppy goes to sleep. That does not mean when you go to bed, but rather when your puppy goes to sleep. This will assist him in making it through the night without having to eliminate.

You may also wish to keep a journal and note your puppy's patterns of wakefulness, playfulness, and sleeping. These are helpful in house training as well as getting to know your puppy better. It will also give you something to look back on as your puppy grows up. Remember to take lots of baby pictures.

When you take your puppy outdoors, use a leash. Taken to the same spot each time and wait quietly until he does his business. Do not let him wander around the yard because puppies become distracted and forget what they're there for. Do not play with your puppy outdoors before he eliminates. Your puppy will learn that the sooner he eliminates the sooner he gets to play with you and to investigate the rest of the yard.

Using the same spot for elimination has several benefits. The smell of past eliminations will trigger him to go. Dogs often will urinate in the same locations whenever taken for a walk. Use this instinct to your advantage. Also, cleanup is so much easier. It's all in one place. On top of that, when you walk in your yard you won't feel as if you are in a smelly minefield!