The Puppy Pages-Housebreaking

Housebreaking

One of the most important tasks you have when you get a new puppy is housebreaking. Housebreaking a puppy requires a lot of patience, and a lot of persistence. You cannot expect a puppy to be trained in one day- that is impossible. A young puppy may have an occasional accident for several months if not let outside soon enough. This may become a nuicence to you, but keep in mind that it took you a couple years to be potty trained!

Housebreaking should begin as soon as your new puppy arrives at your home. A puppy should not be away from it's litter mates until it is at least eight weeks old, and a reputable breeder will never let a puppy go into your home until after the eight weeks are up.

The first step is to begin a routine that is going to work well for you. One that you can keep up with on a day to day basis for many years. If you already have a dog that is housebroken when you get a puppy, it does make things a little easier since the puppy will look to the older dog about what to do.

Some will tell you to wait 30 minutes after the puppy eats to take him outside. I have personally found that if I waited 30 minutes, I'm going to have to do a lot of cleaning. My dogs go outside immediately after they eat. When there is a new puppy, I go outside and watch the puppy to make sure he does what he is supposed to do. At first they're just going to investigate everything- it's a new place and they have to check it out- this is normal. They may be amazed at all the sounds (birds, cars, etc), or occupied with harassing the other pets. If this is the case, you may want to plan your training around these activities. Take the puppy out before there is a lot of activitiy in your neighborhood, and take the puppy out alone after the other dogs have done their business.

When the puppy does his business outside, PRAISE HIM. Tell him he's a good boy. Positive reinforcement is an incredible tool when training. You shouldn't need to ever use any reward treats to potty train. If you do decide to reward with a milkbone, remember that you are beginning a life long routine that the dog will expect you to keep up with. When the puppy gets older, he will learn that when he goes outside he gets a treat, and may not actually have to potty- but knows if he walks around out there, you'll reward him.

You also have to remember that puppies have accidents, there are no ways around that. When your puppy is running free in your house, make sure you watch him closely. If he starts to sniff the floor, or goes in circles, be on alert that he may need to go outside. Puppies have to potty very often, and sometimes they like to do it in odd places- such as behind furniture- so be on the lookout. You should never leave a young puppy unsupervised- not only will they be able to potty wherever they want, but they will chew things that they shouldn't and can cause injury to themselves, and even death. If you are going to leave the house, I recommend putting the puppy in a crate while you are gone- so he cannot hurt himself. I also recommend this at night until he is fully housetrained.

Some say that crating a dog is cruel. A crate can be a great thing, and it can also be a horrible thing. It all depends on how you use them. When the dog is not in the crate, keep the crate door open so he can go in there if he wants to. Never leave a puppy in a crate for an extended period of time. During the day, a couple hours is about as long as a puppy will "hold it". As the puppy ages, he will be able to go for longer periods with no accidents. With this, you have to use your own judgement based on the knowledge of your puppies routine.

Typically, a puppy should go outside every couple hours in the beginning. This will help you figure out when he really needs to go. Some puppies can go throught the night without having to potty, some cannot. It is best if you have the crate in your bedroom so that you can hear him moving around at night (this doesn't work if you're one of those people who doesn't wake easily). You may have to get up with the puppy at least once a night for the first few weeks so he can potty.

If you work and plan on getting a puppy you may want to look into doggy day care if no one is going to be home with the pup. Crating a dog for 8 hours is rough on an adult dog, and out of the question with a puppy. Most kennels will offer a discounted rate to you if you have a puppy and are going to be using their services on a regular basis. They will feed and water your puppy and take him outside. Be sure to bring along some toys for him while he is there. I also recommend checking the kennel thoroughly before you leave your puppy there. You can see more about boarding facilities by going to our boarding section.

What if the puppy has an accident in the house?
This is where many pet owners go horribly wrong. If you are playing with your puppy and go into another room and find that he has had an accident in there earlier, don't say a word to the puppy about it. The puppy isn't going to be able to figure out why you're mad, and it'll do more harm than good. If you catch him in the act, firmly say "NO", and take him outside. If you notice him looking for a spot, say "Let's go Outside" and take him out. Never rub their nose in it, spank them or scream at them- this doens't solve anything.