Housebreaking a Puppy

Some Dos and Don'ts on Housebreaking a Puppy

Dogs are considered “man’s best friend” for a good reason - they are known to develop deep and meaningful bonds with their owners and remain loyal to them. Television shows, movies and books have all been devoted to the intensity of the bond between a human and their dog and this isn’t without good reason!

If you have a new puppy in your home, congrats! A dog can be your closest friend in the world and will never turn down your affections, will never stop listening when you need an ear and will be your friend for the rest of their life if you take the time to build a healthy relationship with them.

However, the dog in your home does not make the rules. You do. That being the case, you need to make sure your animal understands what is acceptable and what is not. Dogs don’t train themselves!

Be sure to make big decisions early such as what he will chew on and play with, where he will sleep and what is off limits to him (for example: Can he get on the furniture? Are any rooms in the home off limits?).

Housebreaking your dog as a young puppy will help ensure they respond successfully and quickly to the training and thus be a happy and positive member to the household, causing you (and him) as little stress as possible.

The crate training method is a perfectly humane and quick way to train your puppy not to go in the house.

Before we dive into that, some Do’s and Don’ts on housebreaking your dog:

Housebreaking a Puppy Do’s:

• Be Consistent. Without your consistency, your puppy will only get confused as to what you are expecting it to do.
• Do regulate your dog’s food and water intake during the day. Never withhold food or water if your animal needs it, but remember that the more your animal eats or drinks, the more it will need to go to the bathroom.
• Do remember to stay close to your puppy. If you aren’t near him, he will have no way to get let out to use the restroom. If you have to be gone for long periods of time while you are training him, make sure that you keep the puppy in a limited area of your home where you are prepared to have accidents happen.
• Do reward your doggy with praise whenever he does what you’ve asked or expected him to do. Your puppy wants to make you happy and he needs to learn what are the right things to do that generate that praise he is seeking.
• Be realistic. As frustrating as house training can be, your new dog may not be completely housebroken until 6 months of age or more.

Housebreaking a Puppy Don’ts:

• Don’t allow your pup to use the restroom anywhere other than his designated area during the training period.
• Don’t discipline your dog when he has an accident. While housebreaking a new puppy, accidents are inevitable and when they do happen it means you did not get him outside to use the restroom soon enough. Clean up the mess and move forward.
• Don’t use your puppy’s crate as a way to punish them, the crate should not be associated with negativity. Also, don’t lock your doggy up in their crate for long periods of time.

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