Crate training is a powerful tool in housebreaking your puppy, according to Dr. Chris Cauble of PetsDoc.com.
“Keeping your pup in a confined space, such as a large box, letting him out to urinate and defecate every few hours is the essence of crate training,” Dr. Cauble says. “This simulates a wild wolf den where the pups never soil the space they live in.”
Time the trips outside with your puppy’s needs. The goal of dog housetraining, he says, is to reward good pet behavior (in other words, not soiling the crate) instead of punishing for accidents: going outside is OK, but going inside isn’t.
“If you are away for long periods, you cannot blame your pup for accidents if he is left inside,” Dr. Cauble says, adding that installing doggy doors or placing newspaper (or Wee Wee Pads) on the floor may be helpful for those times when you will be gone for a long time.
The ultimate secret to housebreaking your dog? Reward, don’t punish. “Over 95 percent of house-training comprises rewarding the dog for eliminating in the right place,” says Dr. Ian Dunbar, TV host and author. “If you regularly take your dog to its doggy toilet area and praise it upon completion, the problem will be resolved in short order.”
Of course you might be wondering, How can I know ahead of time when my pup needs to pee so I can quickly scoot him out of the house? “Puppies generally need to go to the toilet soon after waking, after meals or after play. These are the times the puppy should be taken out to eliminate, as well as whenever it starts to circle or sniff,” Dr. Dunbar advises.
And what should you do if you don’t catch the puppy in the act during a mistake? Do not reprimand the dog or try to show your dog the wet spot (or especially don’t rub the puppy’s nose in it). “Simply clean up the mess and continue with the program,” the vet says.
Dr. Carol Osborne, in her book “Dr. Carol’s Naturally Healthy Dogs,” advises that it’s crucial to completely get rid of the stench of your dog’s urine or feces in your house after a mistake. Don’t use an ammonia-type cleaner to clean up the urine, she says. Instead, use an enzymatic cleaner like Elim-Odor on the soiled area.
She stresses that you should always be at the dog’s side during bathroom breaks. “Take the puppy out on a leash through the same door to the same spot every time, and when it does its business, reward with praise, she says. If you do allow your dog to go out unsupervised, you’ll regret it: “She will go out, come in and urinate on the floor right in front of you,” Dr. Osborne predicts.
“What 3 Vets Say,” a regular feature at PetsAdviser.com, is merely a small sampling of general opinions, NOT medical advice for your pet. These veterinarians are not affiliated with this website; their comments are culled from various online and print sources. For specific health advice about your own pet, always consult your veterinarian.
RSS
Email Us
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
Google+
9 Comments So Far - Where Is Yours?
Please do not be tempted to train your puppy to eliminate in the house. It must be taken into your garden/yard every hour, after it eats or drinks and when it wakes up after a nap. You should also take it out just before you go to bed, every time you see it eliminate you must praise your puppy. I use a catch phrase when my puppy has a pee, I say “get one” while it is urinating and “big job” when it passes faeces. If you do this your dog will pee on command when it is older. (Unless it’s bladder is empty)
You should set your alarm and try to take your puppy out about twice during the night. If like me you are a heavy sleeper and you don’t trust yourself to wake up, take the lazy way out. My puppy’s sleep in the laundry room until they are toilet trained, during the day I dip newspapers into the urine which it has passed in the garden and put these on top of a thick pad of newspaper at night, they are drawn to this because of the smell and they will pee on this during the night. Nevertheless I go to bed very late and get up very early when I have a puppy.
Good article, though @ Dorothy, there are easier ways to train ones puppy and I would adopt the method of using training bells from the first few months as these are recommended by trainers also.
This is always a tricky area when it comes to training your puppy and I agree that in my experience dogs normally respond better to positive reward that to negativity. They tend to get that hang dog expression when you tell them off, which makes you feel bad and the dog feel worse!
I have an old dog now, but he has been with me since I was 7. What I found, is that my my dog tend to be more obedient if you reward it when it listens to you, but keep it at moderation. You also have to punish it if it does something stupid. Like once before my dog peed on the duvet during a cold winter day. I hardy was able to wash it, because it was weekend and the laundry service nearby all closed down. So I got really frustrated and decided not too feed my dog for a day for the bad behavior. I know I might be harsh, but since then, he never peed on any of our furniture!
@Natalie, not feeding your dog for a day is cruel. We certainly don’t recommend punishing your pet this way.
We have a 16 week old pug. We have had him for a month. My dad and my husband seem to think that rubbing his nose in his feces will teach him not to poo in the house. They are both around the same age, 55 and 60. would it be wrong to rub their face in their feces when they become in continent?
@Beth: No, please do not let them rub the puppy’s face in the feces! Simply clean it up without making a big deal. It’s a minor setback, and with focused training the puppy will learn eventually. Reward good behavior.
Good old-fashioned hard work is the answer. Keep an eye on your dog, take him out when necessary, praise for doing the right thing, calmly correct mistakes, and you will get the results you want. Many people seem to think puppies can be trusted unsupervised for a few minutes, but that’s all it takes for them to go in the house and then start to wonder what is and isn’t allowed.
This really solved my problem, thank you!
Please read our Comment Policy.