Guide to Housebreaking Your Puppy

Keeping your house spic and span with an untrained puppy is virtually impossible. If not properly trained both you and your puppy will not be happy. Housebreaking your puppy is the first training you should do. Start off with a schedule and be consistent. As creatures of habit, it is in their nature to keep schedules as pack animals.

Ideal Housebreaking Age

It is best to start housebreaking your puppy when he/she reaches 8 to 12 weeks of age.

Crate Training

Crate Training is used to help housebreak your puppy. Make your puppy’s crate as comfortable as possible. This will be his sanctuary, his own room, so to speak. It is of vital importance not to keep your puppy in the crate for more than two hours at a time. The crate is not to be used for punishment.

In order to housebreak your puppy, keep in mind that puppy’s 3 to 8 weeks have to relieve themselves every 3 hours so be sure to take them outside within that time period. If you leave your puppy in the crate for longer amounts of time he will not be able to hold it. Never, ever use the crate as punishment you do not want your puppy to associate the crate as a bad thing.

Get Your Puppy Used To Routines

When it is time to take your dog out doors to eliminate be sure to use one door only. This way he will use that door to let you know he needs to go outside.

Be sure to keep the same schedule every day. This will make him learn to hold it in until you can take him outside.

Look For Clues

If your un-housebroken dog is accustomed to roaming freely around the house, search for signs that show you he needs to do it. Be really observant enough of his behavior, i.e., heavy sniffing, circling an area, staring at the door with an intense look on his face, etc. If you catch him WHILE doing it, stop him with a quick grab of his collar and pull it up while saying “No” using your deep, stern tone (don’t forget to use a deep, gruff voice when stating commands). Then, take him outside and let him finish what he is doing. Lastly, pat him on his head while saying “Good (his name)!” It is a must to make your dog get used to being praised whenever he does anything that makes you proud. Giving him food as a reward when he does his business in the appropriate spot can help, too.

Patience is a Big Virtue

Like any training endeavor, housebreaking requires a lot of patience. If you definitely despise cleaning your dog’s waste off your Persian carpets on an hourly basis and having your whole house smell like a public bathroom, you want the housebreaking to be successful in a wink of an eye, if not sooner.

Common Sense Makes a Lot of Sense

Common Sense will help you and your dog while housebreaking. Stick to a routine, do not give him water before bed, to not ignore the clues.

Housebreaking your puppy requires patience, consistency and a big commitment. Stick to it and you will succeed.

Best of luck!

How To Potty Train A Puppy – 6 Tips To Make House Training Easier

Some people call it potty training. Others call it housebreaking. No matter what you call it, housetraining a puppy is something most new dog owners dread. Everyone you talk to will probably give you different advice, which can leave you pretty confused.

Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be a terrible experience. With the right information, potty training a puppy can be quicker and easier than you might have expected. Here a six tips that will help make housebreaking your new puppy a lot easier.

Tip #1: Feed Your Puppy At The Same Times Each Day

Free feeding as become popular among dog owners. This is where the dog food is left out so your dog can eat whenever he wants to. This might be fine for older, housebroken dogs, but when you are house training a new dog it’s best to feed him at the same times each day.

Most dogs need to go potty after eating. By having a set schedule, you can control when your dog eats and know when he will need to go potty. You’ll have fewer accidents if you follow this important tip.

Tip #2: Follow A Consistent Potty Schedule

Even though your puppy will be going potty after his meals, you will also need to take him outside as often as you can throughout the day. Create a potty schedule above and beyond meal time, and follow it – taking your puppy out at the same time each day.

By following a potty break schedule, you’ll remember to get your new puppy outside during the day. Puppies thrive on schedules because they give them a real sense of security. When they don’t know what to expect from day to day, puppies become anxious. This anxiety can easily lead to digestive problems – and that makes the whole house training process much harder.

Tip #3: Choose A “Potty” Command And Use It Consistently

Pick a command word that you are comfortable using — no matter where you are or who you’re with. Here are a few common commands: “potty” “go potty” “go peepee” and “tinkle.”

Once you decide on a command to use, you should say it every time you want your puppy to go potty. At first, don’t ever say it until you are in the exact spot you want him to go. As he gets older, you’ll be able to open the door and say “go potty” – or whatever command you are using- and he’ll run over to the right place and go potty all by himself.

Tip #4: When Your Dog Has An Accident, Don’t Scold Or Yell At Him

Every puppy is going to make a few mistakes during dog potty training. When your puppy has an accident, just stay calm. Don’t get excited and start yelling. Don’t scold your puppy and, for goodness sake, never rub your puppy’s nose in it. That’s not just old-fashioned, it’s ineffective and downright confusing for your little puppy.

As with all dog training, positive reinforcement is much more effective than negative. Making your puppy feel bad when he makes a mistake doesn’t work. You want to teach him that good things happen when he goes potty in the right place. Which brings us to the next potty training tip

Tip #5: Always Reward Your Puppy When He Gets It Right

You probably haven’t started obedience training, but this is a good time to learn about positive reinforcement. Every time your puppy does what you’ve asked him to do, you should praise and reward him. This includes potty training.

It’s a good habit to combine sincere praise with some kind of reward. Rewards can be showing him love and affection, giving him a tasty treat, or spending a few minutes playing with him. Whatever you choose, it’s vital that your puppy is rewarded immediately so he remembers that going potty means getting a reward.

To start, be sure to praise him verbally while he’s actually going potty. Use a friendly, happy voice and say “Good boy! Good potty!” As soon as he’s finished, immediately give him the reward. You can toss his favorite ball for a game of fetch, or if you’re on a walk, bounce it and let him catch it. You could also give him a treat or belly rub.

Again, be sure to reward him immediately. Praise combined with affection, treats or play will make your puppy happy – and he’ll soon associate going potty at the right time and place with happiness and joy.

Tip #6: Reduce Accidents With Crate Training Your Puppy

It’s beyond the scope of this article to explain crate training in detail, but there are some great reasons to consider it – especially when potty training your new puppy

Crate training lets you put your puppy in his crate when you aren’t able to watch him. Since dogs don’t like to soil their “dens” your puppy will naturally wait until you let him out to go potty.

The key is to never leave your puppy in his crate for long periods of time – and to take him out to go potty immediately when you let him out. What’s great is he will usually have to go potty when you let him out – and by taking him outside, he’ll be doing it when and where you want him to!

Your new puppy will love you as much as you love him – maybe even more. These six potty training tips will help you quickly housebreak your new puppy. By giving him the proper training, he’ll become a dog everyone will love being around.