August 26th, 2007 | Dave | House Training
An adult dog will need to relieve himself once or twice a day. And he’ll generally have no trouble finding a way to let you know when it’s time.
A puppy, on the other hand, will need to go outside as many as eight or nine times a day. And if he can’t make it, he’ll pick the nearest convenient spot to do his business. Usually the carpet or a corner of the hardwood floor.
That should be all the incentive you need to get your puppy house training completed as soon as possible.
Here are some secrets to help make that happen:
Establish as regular a routine as possible. You’ll want to make sure your puppy does his business throughout the day. Start him off first thing upon waking. Then after each meal, each walk or period of acitivity, and before he settles in for the night. A trip outside in the middle of the night is also desireable if you can pull it off with your schedule. The important thing to remember is to do your best to keep him on a regular routine. Two or three weeks is all puppy house training generally takes before he’ll learn what’s expected of him and begin to control himself better.
Establish a specific area for your puppy to do his business. This sounds more difficult than it is. If you have a dirt area in the back yard, or a patch of lawn which you prefer him to use, then plop him down in this area and wait. Once he does his business, praise him. It won’t be long before he’ll make the connection and won’t need any further prompting.
If you aren’t going to be home, you have to prepare an area for your puppy where he’ll be confined and still have a place to do his business. A small bathroom or laundry area, cordoned off with a baby gate, and covered in newspapers should do the job. Before you leave and as soon as you arrive home, take your puppy outside to do his business. Again, this all goes back to routine and expectation, the foundation of successful puppy house training. The more repetitive the actions, the quicker he’ll learn.
Keep a close eye on your puppy. You’ll quickly learn the signs that indicate he’s in need of a bathroom break. He may start to nose around an area where he’s had an accident in the past, or in a favorite corner. If he begins to squat, immediately pick him up and carry him outside. Simply by keeping a close eye on him, you can dramatically reduce the time it takes to get him trained.
Use a crate. A puppy will rarely soil his crate. However, you can’t simply shove him in, close the gate, and walk away. During the day, he should only be confined for short periods of time. The younger he is the shorter the periods. Before and after each session in the crate, you’ll want to take him outside and encourage him to do his business in his established area.
Finally, you’ll do yourself a favor if you go into this process with the understanding that your puppy is going to have accidents. It’s almost inevitable. When they happen, clean them up thoroughly (a puppy will be tempted to return to that same spot in the future), and continue working the routine you’ve established.
If you follow these puppy house training suggestions, using praise at every opportunity, you’ll find it won’t be long at all before your puppy is completely housebroken.
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