The key to housebreaking your puppy lies in recognizing and understanding his behavior. As a natural body process, elimination can be predictable if your puppy is on a scheduled routine. This means that there are certain time frames, and certain displays of behavior, that you will be able to utilize and encourage in order to make housebreaking your puppy an easy and enjoyable experience for both of you.
Like a baby human, puppies have very small bladders. This being the case, they must eliminate approximately every two hours; although time will vary according to breed. This is assuming the puppy you are training is at least eight weeks old. In actuality, this knowledge will simplify housebreaking straight away:
- While your puppy is awake, he must be taken out to a designated area to relieve himself every two hours.
To implement the time factor, studying your puppy’s behavior will greatly aid you in your training. Observation is vital. For instance, you have probably noticed that puppies sleep in short spurts: three to four hours or less at any one time. This is because they are awakened by pressure building in their small bladders. Hence, puppies must be taken out to relieve themselves at once upon waking. In addition to this, another key time that a puppy will naturally feel a need to relieve himself is within three to five minutes of eating. So, to reiterate, if you take you puppy out: after meals, upon waking up, and every two hours, you will greatly minimize the chance that there will be accidents.
Anytime that your puppy relieves himself in an appropriate place, reward him vigorously. This means lots of excited praise, petting, and treats if you so desire. Use a reward phrase that is reserved only for when your puppy is going to the bathroom. Ensure that this is all done according to a routine. Exit through the same door everyday, go to the same spot, and issue the same energetic praise when your puppy is in the act of eliminating. This constant routine will eventually develop long-term automatic responses within the dog to do its business essentially on command.
As you can see, housebreaking a puppy can be easy, and it can even be fun, but it is time consuming, and you have to be diligent. This is not practical for everyone’s lifestyle, especially if the puppy will need to be left alone for more than a few hours every day. In this case, crate training is one of the most effective and highly recommended training methods available. Start by purchasing a crate that will be suited for your dog’s particular breed. The crate should be an open-wire type crate; not a plastic “transport” crate. Ensure that your puppy’s crate is equipped with water dishes, and a comfortable surface to lay on.
The theory behind crate training is that most puppies, regardless of breed, are naturally hesitant to eliminate in an area that they sleep in or near. The crate mimics an instinctual den-like environment which helps a dog to feel secure. To crate-train your puppy, you or someone else must still let the dog out to relieve itself every few hours; until it grows older and is able to resist going for longer periods of time. This is called behavioral conditioning, and it complements the way a dog would naturally behave.
In order to be effective, the crate must never be used as a punishment. Your puppy cannot have any negative associations with the crate. It should be a safe place for the puppy to sleep, and a calming personal area when your pup is alone.
A dog by his very nature does not want to share its living area with its bathroom: use that knowledge to help your puppy understand where to go, and when.
