House training your puppy is about consistency, patience, and positive reinforcement. The goal for puppy and dog house-training tips is to instil good habits and build a loving bond with your pet.
Puppy and Dog house-training Tips
In this article we will discuss the following aspects of puppy house-training:
- When is the best time to begin House Training a Puppy?
- Steps for House-training Your Puppy
- Using a Crate to House-Train Puppy
- Signs That Your Puppy or dog needs to Eliminate
- Your puppy’s House Training Setbacks
- Puppy and Dog house-training Tips Do’s and Don’ts
It typically takes 4-6 months for a puppy to be fully house trained, but some puppies may take up to a year. Size can be a predictor. For instance, smaller breeds have smaller bladders and higher metabolisms and require more frequent trips outside. Your puppy’s previous living conditions are another predictor. You may find that you need to help your puppy break old habits in order to establish more desirable ones.
One puppy and dog house-training tips are not to worry if your pup has a few training setbacks. As long as you continue a management program that includes taking your puppy out at the first sign he needs to go and offering him rewards, he’ll learn.
When to Begin House Training Puppy
Experts recommend that you begin house training your puppy when he is between 12 weeks and 16 weeks old. At that point, he has enough control of his bladder and bowel movements to learn to hold it.
If your puppy is older than 12 weeks when you bring him home and he’s been eliminating in a cage (and possibly eating his waste), house training may take longer. You will have to reshape the dog’s behaviour — with encouragement and reward.
Steps for House-training Your Puppy
Experts recommend confining the puppy to a defined space, whether that means in a crate, in a room, or on a leash. As your puppy learns that he needs to go outside to do his business, you can gradually give him more freedom to roam about the house.
Follow these puppy and dog house-training tips when you start to house train:
- Keep the puppy on a regular feeding schedule and take away his food between meals.
- Take the puppy out to eliminate first thing in the morning and then once every 30 minutes to an hour. Also, always take him outside after meals or when he wakes from a nap. Make sure he goes out the last thing at night and before he’s left alone.
- Take the puppy to the same spot each time to do his business. His scent will prompt him to go.
- Stay with him outside, at least until he relieves himself and is on his way to becoming house trained.
- When your puppy eliminates outside, praise him or give him a treat. A walk around the neighbourhood is a nice reward.
Using a crate for house-training a puppy
A crate can be a good idea for house training your puppy, at least in the short term. It will allow you to keep an eye on him for signs he needs to go and teach him to hold it until you open the crate and let him outside.
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Here are a few guidelines for using a crate:
- Make sure it is large enough for the puppy to stand, turn around, and lie down, but not big enough for him to use a corner as a bathroom.
- If you are using the crate for more than two hours at a time, make sure the puppy has fresh water, preferably in a dispenser you can attach to the crate.
- If you can’t be home during the house training period, make sure somebody else gives him a break in the middle of the day for the first 8 months.
- Don’t use a crate if your puppy is eliminating in it. Eliminating in the crate could have several meanings: he may have brought bad habits from where he lived before; he may not be getting outside enough; the crate may be too big, or he may be too young to hold it in.
Signs That Your Puppy Needs to Eliminate
Whining, circling, sniffing, barking, or, if your puppy is unconfined, barking or scratching at the door, are all signs he needs to go. Take him out right away.
House Training Setbacks
Accidents are common in puppies up to a year old. The reasons for accidents range from incomplete house training to a change in the puppy’s environment.
When your puppy does have an accident, keep on training. Then if it still doesn’t seem to be working, consult a veterinarian to rule out a medical issue.
Do’s and Don’ts in house-training a Puppy
Keep the following do’s and don’ts in mind while house-training your puppy:
- Punishing your puppy for having an accident is a definite no-no. It teaches your puppy to fear you.
- If you catch your puppy in the act, clap loudly so he knows he’s done something unacceptable. Then take him outside by calling him or taking him gently by the collar. When he’s finished, praise him or give him a small treat.
- A puppy and dog house-training Tip are to NEVER react angrily by yelling or rubbing his nose in it when you happen to find a none witnessed ‘accident’. Puppies are not able to connect your anger with their little ‘accident.’
- Staying outside longer with your puppy may help to curb accidents. He may need extra time to explore.
- Clean up accidents with an enzymatic cleanser rather than an ammonia-based cleaner to minimize odours that might attract the puppy back to the same spot.
WebMD Veterinary Reference
FINAL THOUGHTS
House-training takes patience and the ability to follow a schedule. Most puppies respond to a schedule because it gets them used to doing the same thing at the same time every day and they learn the behaviour you want easier.
Puppy and dog house-training tips: keep a dairy
You need to discover what your puppy’s limitation in holding his urine. Keep a diary for several days until you spot the pattern between eating and eliminating. Puppies often need to eliminate soon after they eat, drink, play or sleep.
Most dogs need to be taken out to pee at least four to five times a day providing they haven’t drunk an excessive amount of water.
Another puppy and dog house-training tip is not to bring him back from a walk or backyard visit until he has eliminated. Be ready to stay outside until he does. This could take some time. If you bring him back too soon he most likely will have an accident before you can get him back outside again.
Praise and attention
The most important thing is to lavish him with praise each and every time he does the right behaviour. This reinforces it because he receives attention and a treat. If you wait and praise him later, it won’t be effective. To keep him from finding spots, close doors to rooms with carpeting or rugs, because they prefer a certain area to eliminate on.
If the puppy does have an accident, use a pet odour neutralizer to prevent any odour. They sometimes will sniff around until they find the exact same spot they went the last time. Don’t use ammonia-based cleaners as they break down into urea, which is a part of the urine.
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Here are a few useful, and recommended aids to help with your puppy house training – click the images for more information
