So you have got yourself a new puppy which is a wonderful time for any family, the not so wonderful part is the puppy housebreaking process that unfortunately, all dog owners must go through. If the dog is going to be living in your house which I assume is the case, then you are going to have to take on the puppy housebreaking task. However, try not to worry too much about it as it is not hard, too messy and does not need to be a long struggle. It doesn’t necessarily take a long time either but it will require a bit of dedication from you to get it right. The more effort you put in to getting it right at the start, the quicker it can be done.

Before you get started with the puppy housebreaking there are a couple of rules you must obey

Puppy Housebreaking Rule 1. This is the number one rule for a reason, it is the most important rule. If you catch your puppy fouling in the wrong place then you can punish them for it, as they will associate the action with the punishment. The rule is, if you don’t catch them in the act then DO NOT punish them.

Puppy Housebreaking Rule 2. When things go right, lavish praise on the puppy. Housebreaking is a combination of saying ‘NO’ when they get it wrong and praise when they get it right, not just one or the other. These might seem quite obvious rules but you would be surprised how many people get these fundamentals wrong.

Puppy Housebreaking Methods

The Inside to Outside Paper/Pad Method

There are a number of puppy housebreaking methods, the first of the two we are looking at here is by putting down old papers or the pretreated training pads you buy from the pet store. I like the pads as they make it a little easier for the dog as they are scented to attract the puppy. When a puppies are looking for somewhere to relieve themselves they sniff around looking for somewhere that has been used before, if they don’t find anything they give up and make a new spot. When you see the signs,  walking around sniffing the floor, calmly pick them up (no talking) and put them down on the pad or papers. When they do go, Rule 2 comes into play so make sure they know they have done a good thing.

After a short time of doing this and they are consistently using the paper, try moving the papers nearer the door and place some more outside the house. This will help the dog to transfer it’s toilet habits from a spot in the house to one outside. Don’t forget to continue with Rule 2, you might get tired of it but your dog never will. Now it’s time to take the next step in puppy housebreaking by removing the papers inside. If you stick with it and follow this guide then the method is very effective for puppy housebreaking.

Crate Training Method

After the first method we discussed crate training comes in at a close second for puppy housebreaking and it involves using a cage or crate. You don’t want a massive cage that the dog can roam around in, just one big enough for a bed. At the beginning as you are puppy housebreaking the cage may be a little too big for them, which is not what you want. Try to buy one with a divider that can be removed and the space made bigger as the dog grows.

This method of puppy housebreaking works due to the fact that a dog does not like to soil it’s bed, as it would then have to lay in the mess. This method does work very well and whilst in the confines of the crate most puppies can control their urges much better than usually expected. The important advantage of crate training is often overlooked. It is not just about stopping the dog messing up the house, it teaches them a valuable lesson in puppy housebreaking. They learn that when they have an urge to go to the toilet they don’t have to go immediately and that they can hold onto it until they are in the right place to go.

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You have a young puppy in your home and they are very cute and all that, but when is the best time to put them through a housebreaking puppy training program. This can involve a lot of training as we are trying to alter the puppy’s natural behaviour to suit ones more appropriate to living in a home. There are some people that say if you have a very young puppy, say those less than 16 weeks then you shouldn’t put them through any training. They say this is the time when they should be getting used to their environment and possibly the new home it finds itself in and of course the new family. They think that this time in the early stages of their life should be without too many rules to allow them to develop at their own pace as a result of their experiences. Thinking that if discipline is used to train the puppy to learn right from wrong it may have a detrimental effect on it’s ability to socialize with humans and other dogs. From a personal stand point I wholeheartedly disagree with this as I have seen positive results from housebreaking puppy methods that have been introduced early. Please don’t get me wrong here, I am not saying that you should frighten or scold the puppy in anyway when I say the word discipline. The young housebreaking puppy should be treated with care to produce the best results.

I believe that training a puppy begins the moment he or she opens their eyes. From that point on they are a blank canvas and everything they see and do is a learning experience. Therefore housebreaking puppy training should start the moment you get them home. I can see little point in having the dog home for a few weeks letting them do whatever they like, forming all sorts of bad habits and unchecked behaviour. Then bang, it all stops and you change all the rules at the drop of a hat when you decide they are ready. If anything this is going to cause more problems for you and confuse the poor dog. Housebreaking puppy training is just the formation of good habits and forming new habits is much, much easier than trying to get rid of the bad ones.

Housebreaking Puppy Training From Day One.

Because it is easier to form new habits than eliminate the bad ones bringing a puppy home at 7 weeks is the perfect time to start a housebreaking puppy training program. Puppy’s that find their new home at 12 weeks or more have developed so many more habits and behaviours from the kennel situation that would not be acceptable in a domestic home, so they would be a lot more resistant to initial training. Another good reason for housebreaking puppy training to begin at 7 weeks is the puppy is so eager to please you. These are incredibly formative times for the puppy, they have a new home, you are their new family and they are looking to you to show them the way by reaching out for your love and security. They will want to please you no matter what, so please try to remember that when a housebreaking puppy keeps getting it wrong, it is about patience and persistence on your part. when your puppy understands exactly what it is you want from them, they are very keen to do it just so they can get your praise when they are successful. You need to take advantage of this behaviour and strike while the iron is hot. It may be the case that some animals benefit from waiting but in the case of the housebreaking puppy it is best to start straight away.

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Right so you have a new furry friend in your home and the first thing you need to know how to go about housebreaking a puppy as quickly and as cleanly as possible. You may or may not know that there are several methods you can employ at this stage and they are all effective, you just need to find the right one for you and your puppy. Now none of these different methods are by any means set in stone and there is no strict plan you must follow when housebreaking a puppy. What you need to do is pick a little of what works from each method and combine it into your own plan.

The Stages To Housebreaking A Puppy

First on the housebreaking a puppy agenda is to make a schedule. When you start the process you will need to be taking your puppy outside as often as possible to get them acquainted with places where it is OK to relieve themselves. What you want to do next is to introduce a schedule where you indentify specific times of the day top take them out. You can easily do this by taking them out first thing, after a meal and before bed time etc. With this schedule it is also a very good idea to introduce regular feeding times as if they are fed at random this can increae the chances of them having an accident. It is very importnat to stick to the schedule once it is introduced or you will undo all your hard work and you will be back at the beginning.

Next you will want to set up an area where the puppy can relieve themselves if they need to. This is a good idea when housebreaking a puppy, as there are going to be times when you cant watch them 24-7. Find an confined area where you can place some old newspaper or a training pad down, or even a crate is ideal for this. A dog will not want to pee or poop where it sleeps so make sure there is enough space for them to lay down and a toilet area and that is it. It is worth remembering at this point that this area is only a temporary measure and is only put in place when there is no alternative for the puppy, you still need to stick to the schedule of getting the dog out of the house at the right time.

You will need to be eagle eyed and keep a look out for any signs the dog is about to go. As soon as they start sniffing the floor excessively and/or turning around in circles this is your cue to let them out. Some of the more obvious signs and when you see these your job is almost done is when the puppy starts to stand by the door, scratching or barking at it.

The use of verbal cues when housebreaking a puppy is also a very important part of the training. Use some short command words to avoid confusing the dog that it can associate with the action they are taking. Commonly words like “Go” or “Be Quick” are very effective and take no time at all for the puppy to learn.

You are also going to have to introduce a system where you reward or punish the puppy in an effective way. Whenever the puppy goes in the correct area, shower them with praise, maybe give a treat of have a little play time. If your puppy has an accident and you dont catch them in the act, do not make the mistake of punishing them for it as they will have no idea why. When you do catch them just make a load bang or noise to distract them and take them outside quickly to finish what they started.

In summary the techniques explained here will get you housebreaking a puppy as quickly as is possible. Do not be disheartened if it takes a little longer than you expect, the key is to remain consistant and stick to the plan. If you can spend as much time with them as possible and create many opportunities for them to succeed, you will have cracked it in no time flat and have a very happy puppy on your hands.

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