House Training Your Puppy

House Training Guide
House Training Your Puppy
House training isn’t always difficult, but it does take time and patience on your behalf. You need to be consistent with your routine in teaching your puppy not to poo or pee in the house. Dogs need to be taught that it’s not OK for them to go inside the house – we must understand they don’t know this automatically, and left on their own they’ll go whenever and wherever they need to.
Even a puppy that’s already house-trained before you get him may be unfamiliar with his new surroundings that he may have a few ‘accidents’ before he understands the rules. The most important thing to remember during this house training process is that punishment for indoor accidents will only teach your puppy not to eliminate around you. It won’t stop him from doing it indoors when you’re not around. Your young puppy does not understand why you’re upset, and any display of anger or impatience will only confuse him, and frighten him. This will set the whole house training process back drastically.
Unless you can monitor young pup 24/7, expect a few accidents to happen along the way it is virtually impossible to think that a young puppy learning its new surroundings will not have a few accidents. The entire house training process will usually last until the pup is at least 6 months old. Puppies are eating-playing-sleeping-pooping machines. That is what they do when they are young. They haven’t yet developed bowel and bladder control, making them unable to ‘hold it’ as long as adult dogs can. Puppy can only “hold it” a couple of hours whereas an adult dog can hold it upwards of 6-8 hours with proper training.
It is a good idea to pee pad train your puppy for the times when you’re not home, and outdoor train him for the times when you are around. First step is to give young Fido his own small, fully padded room – ideally a tiled bathroom or laundry room is the best choice. The next thing is to take control of his feeding schedule, and choose a designated spot outdoors where you’ll want him to eliminate.
Set up a feeding schedule
You’ll never be able to predict exactly your puppy’s “got to go” times if you’re not controlling the feeding times and portions. Dogs usually need to go after meals, after vigorous play/exercise, and after sleep. Food should be offered only at set mealtimes each day and should not be left available for grazing all day and night. If puppy hasn’t eaten his food within 20 minutes, pick up the dish and don’t put more food out until the next scheduled feeding time. You’ll always need to allow him access to water, but remember that this means you can never be 100% sure when he might need to go pee.
As soon as you get up and let Fido out of his crate take him out on a leash first thing each morning. Take him to the same elimination spot every time and wait there with him until you see him go. Once he’s finished, praise him for being such a good puppy and then take him back inside for breakfast. After your morning feeding, take a few minutes to play and socialize with your pup and after about 30-45 minutes take him back outside on his leash, to his same designated elimination area as before.
When you’re home to supervise
After you’ve taken him outside for after-breakfast break, the puppy should remain in the same room or near you, so that you can watch for signs that he needs to go again. Every 30 minutes bring your pup to his indoor pads in his designated little room. Stay with your pup here if it seems that he needs to go. If you’re busy and you can’t actively supervise him at all times, it is a good idea to confine him in this room. Have his favorite chews/toys and his bed in the room with him. Typically they will then just rest puppies sleep most of the time but remember once he wakes up it is time to go outside again.
Every 2 hours make sure to go outside again. Once outside, make sure to not let him off his leash and never combine these trips with walks, games, or playing. If you confuse him with play time he’ll beg you for constant trips outside. During initial training, make sure to bring him directly to his designated spot, wait there til he’s finished his business and then take him back inside the house. Always serve praise to him and even offer a reward treat whenever he eliminates at the right time and place – the more you show him love the sooner he’ll be able to master the concept and become fully house trained. After you come back inside, don’t let your puppy wander freely inside the house – keep him as close to you as possible.
At night, keep your young pup confined in your small room or crate. In the morning when you wake up take him directly outside you may want to carry him outside (as opposed to letting him walk) so he won’t accidentally pee as he walks outside.
When you’re away during the day
Until little Fido is completely house trained or never goes inside the house, the pup should never have the run of the house. When you’re not home with him, confine him to his little room with his pee pad covered floors or better yet his crate. When crate training a puppy you can never leave them more then 2 hours. They will not be able to hold it any longer then a couple or hours so you will need to let him out to go frequently throughout the day. It is not always a good idea to use pee pads in the crate as they may associate the pads with peeing in their crate and may think of it as a chew and shred it up anyways.
As time goes on, your puppy will show a preferred spot in his room for “doing his business”. When this place is established and the rest of the room remains clean all day, you can gradually reduce the amount of pee pads you lay down until you’re only leaving a few down. If he ever misses the pee pad, then you’ve made his area too small and add a few more pads. Be patient with your pup it is the single most important factor in potty training. They will eventually figure it out but it will take some time and consistency. Put fresh pee pads down daily, and as soon as you get home you should immediately leash young Fido and take him outside to eliminate. Make sure to have plenty of pee pads on hand. If is also suggested to use a housebreaking aid which encourages elimination in particular areas. Lastly it is always suggested to have stain and odor removers such as Nature’s Miracle or Urine Off to help clean up when Fido has a few accidents cause it will surely happen.