How to Housebreak Your Puppy - Dan's Elite Dog Training, Easton, Maryland
One of the questions I am constantly asked is "How do I get my puppy housebroken???"If you have children I would be willing to bet that when they were toddlers you didn't give them free run of the house. Had you done that there is no telling what kind of damage could be done. Both to your house as well as to your child.
The same is true with a puppy. Your puppy does not know the rules. He is apt to do whatever enters into that little puppy head of his and half the time whatever he comes up with is not a good idea.
The key to housebreaking is supervision. That is your puppy needs to be with you at all times when out of his crate. We'll talk about crate training in a minute. Anyway, you need to be able to keep an eye on him in order to know when he needs to go outside.
Guess what? If you watch close enough I promise, he will always tell you! You ask, Dan, are you nuts? Nah, I'm not nuts. Puppies have several ways that let you know they need to go outside. Maybe he starts getting a little agitated. Or maybe his little tail starts to pump up and down like one of those old water pump handles. Another sign might be intense sniffing or your pup spinning in circles.
When your pup tells you he needs to go outside that is exactly what you must do! Get him outside as quickly as possible! Just as importantly bring him outside on leash. Don't let him out and go back to whatever you were doing. Remember? Your pup doesn't know the rules! Also, a good way to make sure your dog is healthy is to check out his stool.
Once outside a good idea is to bring him to the same spot in your yard each and every time. By doing that when he is housebroken that area will become his bathroom. No messes all over the yard and cleaning up after him is pretty easy.
OK, so you're outside with your dog. He, being a little pup, might actually forget that he needs to empty out! Do yourself a favor, whereever you bring him make sure there are not many things to distract your pup. No toys, kids playing or critters running around. Just a place to calmly eliminate. Give him no more than two minutes. Yep, no more than two minutes. Remember, it's bathroom time, not play time. If he goes gently praise him.
If he does not empty out go ahead and bring him back in. Now remember, we know he still needs to go. The key is to catch him before he does! So keep a close eye on him. As soon as you see him telling you it's time to go out bring him out again. A few repetitions and before long he will have to empty! When he does praise gently.
Remember I mentioned supervision? Well I've found over the years the best way to do that is with crate training.
Your puppy has a natural instinct to enjoy small cozy places. His mom, given a choice probably found a den to take care of her pups. A den is a small enclosed area where the pups are kept safe from predators. As soon as the pups are mature enough they head out of the den to eliminate. It is natural for a pup to want his living area clean.
Make sure you buy a crate big enough for him to stand up on but not so big that he can eliminate in one corner and happily play in another. Just big enough to stand up, turn around and lie down. Trust me,your puppy prefers a nice cozy place to sleep.
Here is another tip for house breaking. Do NOT free feed. By free feeding I mean do not leave his bowl down for more than a couple of minutes. If you leave his food down all day he will never be regular. Also, there are several behavioral problems that can develop as well by free feeding, but that's for a later discussion. Anyway, try feeding your pup once in the morning and once after you get home from work.
Remember, between any activity it is a good idea to get him outside. After he eats...outside. After he wakes up.... outside. When he gets done playing.... outside. A pup, like a baby does not have much control, nor is he necessarily all that aware that he might need to eliminate. Make it your job to help him by giving him plenty of opportunities to get it right.
By following these simple rules your pup should be housebroken in no time. If though, you are still having problems with house breaking or any other dog training issue, feel free to give me a call. I'm always glad to help!
Sincerely,
Dan Salb
Dan's Elite Dog Training
Easton MD.
(410)770-9789
