This post contains affiliate links.
Follow these simple steps!
Your puppy isn’t pre-programmed where to pee and poop!
I absolutely shudder when I hear of dogs six, eight, or twelve months old that still are not house broken! I know of dogs that are several years old and still mess in the house! It is absolutely not the dog’s fault! If you think dog, you will understand that my den is what I make it; I have a corner for sleeping, a corner for eating, a large area for playing, fighting, mating, etc., and a corner for bathroom duties. Your dog does not come pre-programmed that this particular corner needs to be outdoors. You must teach him! Do not begin with teaching him to mess on paper; you are teaching him to mess indoors!
The Rules of Housebreaking
Watch him or contain him!
The rules of house breaking are as follows:
If you can’t watch him, contain him. Preferably his crate, he will not likely (some do) pee in his crate because he will then have to lay in it. An X-pen (mentioned later) is another great tool for safe containment.
Timing matters!
As soon as you let your pup out of his crate in the morning (or any time for that matter), take him outside on line, and give a command to urinate and defecate. We use the command “hurry up” in a pleasant tone. When pup naturally has to go, we praise using “Good Hurry Up”! It may feel silly, however it is a command you won’t likely use for anything else, and it teaches your dog to eliminate on command. It comes in very handy when you’re about to hit the road for several hours and you want to know your dog’s needs have been met. Do not go back in with your pup until he has relieved himself. Young puppies (8-14 weeks, give or take) will do both functions very quickly. As you see the pup about to commence, give the “hurry up” command and praise immediately!
Teach him to be quick.
As pup gets older, he will begin to have more control, will want to sniff more, stretch, run around a bit, and generally take his good old time about things. Especially when it’s raining out! If you have waited a fair time and pup has not done his business, pop him back in his crate for a bit, while you take care of your needs. He will soon learn that he has some time constraints, and you won’t feel taken advantage of.
Accidents happen!
If pup has an accident in the house, it’s probably because you weren’t aware of his body language. Not all pups are gifted with saying “I need to go outside!” Some of the body language is subtler and may only include a mere glance at the door. To begin with, use only one door to take pup outside. Make it a happy thing; ask pup “Do you want to go OUTSIDE?” Put his leash on and with lots of praise, emphasise: “Let’s go OUTSIDE”! If you have a vocal pup, encourage him to bark at the door before you go out. This will encourage him to ask when he needs to go out.
Monitor your puppy.
It’s very important that you go outside with pup for bathroom duties, otherwise how do you know he’s gone? Also it’s important to praise for the duty done outside. When you know his bathroom duties are completed, you can bring him in with confidence that he will be okay for a while. How long is a while? Well if he comes in and drinks a big bowl of water, it won’t be long. If he eats, drinks, then lays down for a nap, the moment his eyes open from that nap, it’s time to go out! House breaking is all about diligence. The fewer accidents in the house, the less likely it is to become a bad habit.
Photo Credit © Can Stock Photo / pasiphae
Catch him in the act!
When pup has an accident in the house, IF you catch him in the act, verbally scold him and take him directly outside, make sure you have your line handy so you can attach him on the way out. Ours literally hangs on a nail on the front door. When he’s outdoors, encourage him with your command and after a few moments (when he gets his heart back out of his throat!) he will resume his duties, then PRAISE him! Scold him for messing inside praise him for messing outside.
Cleanup on aisle four!
If you don’t catch pup in the act and you just discover a mess, clean it up. Your pup will not have a clue at why you’re yelling at him. He will become fearful and mistrusting if over corrected for something he has no idea about! Use an odour neutralizer for clean up such as Nature’s Miracle it has a nice citrus scent and is all-natural. Clean up promptly and thoroughly or he will make that spot bathroom central! You can expect your pup to be relatively house broken by the time he is 12 weeks old.
Photo Credit © Can Stock Photo / Colecanstock
Diligence is key!
You must be diligent; a loose puppy running around unsupervised is an accident waiting to happen! Also essential in house breaking is having a feeding routine. Remember this one phrase: “If it’s always going in, it must always come out!” I will cover feeding schedules later; however for house breaking it is very important to have a regular schedule in the beginning.
This post contains affiliate links.