Housebreaking a Puppy
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Perhaps the most important task for a new dog owner is potty training or housebreaking a puppy. Having a new puppy in your life is a joy, but without the proper training, you’ll be in for a very stinky house! If you stick to a proven housetraining routine, it should only take about two weeks to train your puppy to potty outside. Be committed to the process and consistent in your implementation and you and your puppy will be happily trained in no time.
The first step is to be sure your puppy is in good health. Have your vet give your new puppy a full check-up. You don’t want to discipline your puppy for inappropriate urination if he has a bladder infection, right? Once your vet gives your puppy a clean bill of health, you can be sure that following a housebreaking procedure will be easier and yield the results you want.
Decide on the designated potty area in your yard. This is very important. Your puppy must associate this specific area with waste elimination. If you aren’t certain about exactly where the potty area is, your puppy won’t be either. Use the same area of the lawn as the potty area every time you take your puppy out to potty.
Create a schedule and stick to it. Routine is the most important part of potty training your puppy. On your schedule should be waking up time, feeding times, nap times, play times, potty times, and bedtime. Your puppy will need to be taken to his potty area after waking up, after eating, after napping, after playing, and before bedtime. Your puppy should be kept in his crate during the night and will be able to “hold it” overnight pretty quickly.
If you bring the puppy to the potty area and he does not potty within five minutes, bring him back inside for a while, but keep a close eye on him! Try again in about a half hour to see if he’s ready to go.
Always be supervising your puppy when he is in the house. You can usually spot when your puppy needs to go outside. He’ll stop playing and will start searching out a spot to squat! If you catch him too late, say “No” in a firm voice and take him immediately outside to the potty area. Do not hit or yell at him. When he goes in the potty area outside, give him lots of praise and attention. It is important that he associates going outside with good things.
If you can’t be around your dog, confine him to his crate or a small area (bathroom, etc). Do not give him any food for 2 hours prior to your absence. Give him another potty area trip before you confine him in his area. Don’t leave him alone for more than 8 hours without water or a potty break. If you will be gone longer than 8 hours you should have someone come to care for your puppy and bring him out for potty time.
Remember, successful puppy potty training is 100% dependant on your ability to stick to a schedule – rain or shine! Housebreaking your puppy should take about two weeks if you do it correctly. If you try to cheat the process or “give in” and let the puppy make mistakes in the house, you will have to retrain the puppy, which will involve more time and effort the older the puppy gets. Housebreaking is something every puppy owner will be glad to get done right the first time!
