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accident for several months if not let outside soon enough. This may
become a nuisance to you, but keep in mind that it took you a couple
of years to be potty trained! The key is persistence when it comes to
housebreaking.
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 seven weeks old, and a reputable breeder will never let
a puppy go into your home until it is 7-8 weeks of age.
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 about
10 minutes 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 activity in your neighborhood, and take the puppy
out alone after the other dogs have done their business.
When the puppy does his or her business outside, PRAISE HIM OR HER.
Tell them they are a good boy/good girl. 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
treat, 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
or she will learn that when he or she goes outside he or she gets a
treat, and may not actually have to potty- but knows if he or she
walks around out there, you'll reward him or her.
You also have to remember that puppies have accidents, there is
no way around this. When your puppy is running free in your house,
make sure you watch closely. If starting to sniff the floor, or going
in circles, be on alert that your pup 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 your pup cannot get hurt. I also
recommend this at night until they are 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 your pup can go in there if they want to. Never leave a puppy in
a crate for an extended period of time. During the day, a couple of
hours is about as long as a puppy will "hold it". As the puppy ages,
they 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 puppy's routine.
Typically, a puppy should go outside every couple of hours in the
beginning. This will help you figure out when he really needs to go.
Some puppies can go throughout the night without having to potty,
some cannot. It is best if you have the crate in your bedroom so that
you can hear the puppy 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 they 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.
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 they have
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 will do more harm than good. If you catch pup in the act, firmly
say "NO", and take pup outside. If you notice pup looking for a spot,
say "Let's go Outside" and take pup out. Never rub their nose in it,
spank them or scream at them- this doesn't solve anything.
become a nuisance to you, but keep in mind that it took you a couple
of years to be potty trained! The key is persistence when it comes to
housebreaking.
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 seven weeks old, and a reputable breeder will never let
a puppy go into your home until it is 7-8 weeks of age.
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 about
10 minutes 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 activity in your neighborhood, and take the puppy
out alone after the other dogs have done their business.
When the puppy does his or her business outside, PRAISE HIM OR HER.
Tell them they are a good boy/good girl. 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
treat, 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
or she will learn that when he or she goes outside he or she gets a
treat, and may not actually have to potty- but knows if he or she
walks around out there, you'll reward him or her.
You also have to remember that puppies have accidents, there is
no way around this. When your puppy is running free in your house,
make sure you watch closely. If starting to sniff the floor, or going
in circles, be on alert that your pup 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 your pup cannot get hurt. I also
recommend this at night until they are 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 your pup can go in there if they want to. Never leave a puppy in
a crate for an extended period of time. During the day, a couple of
hours is about as long as a puppy will "hold it". As the puppy ages,
they 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 puppy's routine.
Typically, a puppy should go outside every couple of hours in the
beginning. This will help you figure out when he really needs to go.
Some puppies can go throughout the night without having to potty,
some cannot. It is best if you have the crate in your bedroom so that
you can hear the puppy 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 they 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.
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 they have
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 will do more harm than good. If you catch pup in the act, firmly
say "NO", and take pup outside. If you notice pup looking for a spot,
say "Let's go Outside" and take pup out. Never rub their nose in it,
spank them or scream at them- this doesn't solve anything.
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