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Housetraining a Puppy or Re-training an Adult Dog
Dogs are basically clean animals; they don’t like to spend time where they’ve urinated or defecated. Some dogs adopted as adults may need a refresher course in housetraining. The same rules apply to re-training an adult dog and training a puppy.
Before putting this housetraining program in place, decide where you want your dog’s "toilet" to be. It can be in the backyard anywhere or it can be a specific place in the backyard. Once you and your family understand where your puppy’s bathroom is going to be you can begin teaching your dog where she will be allowed to eliminate.
Steps to Successful Housetraining
1. Establish a schedule. Keep meals and water on a schedule and provide potty breaks accordingly. For small pups, 15 minutes after eating or drinking - out they go. Also, take your puppy out immediately following naps and play sessions.
2. Go out with your puppy. When the pup gets to her designated area and eliminates, praise, praise, praise! (After all, better on the lawn than on your carpet.)
3. In the house, watch the pup at all times. If you can’t confine your dog to a crate. Pups don’t like to soil in their "dens" so they aren’t likely to use their crate as their "toilet." Take the pup out of the crate at regular intervals and directly outside. Praise her if she goes to the bathroom; if she doesn’t, bring her back inside and either watch her closely or put her in her crate for a little while longer. Then, back outside. Watch for sniffing and circling - that usually means your pup’s ready to eliminate. If you’re inside and see the sniffing/circling, hustle the pup outside immediately. If you’re outside, begin your praising routine.
Following these steps should make it relatively easy to housetrain your pup. Remember, the keys are consistency, keeping an eye on her, crate training, and sticking to a schedule. Don’t expect the pup to "ask" to go outside. Just keep her comings and "goings" on a regular schedule, appropriate for the pup’s age and ability to control her bladder.
What Happens If . . .
Q: What happens if the first few times I go outside with my puppy she goes right away, but after a few days she starts stalling and won’t "go?" When I bring her in she immediately urinates on my carpet. What do I do?
A: A couple of things. First don’t forget your crate. If the pup won’t eliminate outside, as soon as she comes in she goes right into her crate. Give her 15 minutes to half an hour and try taking her outside again.
Also, during housetraining, try not to join your puppy outside until she eliminates and then immediately bring her back in (not fun for the pup). Some pups will hold off going to the bathroom so they can keep you outside with them a bit longer. To avoid that, once the pup urinates or defecates, go out, praise/praise/praise and then spend a few extra minutes playing in the yard. Teach her that going to the bathroom does not end your fun time outside with her.
Q: What happens if my puppy goes to the bathroom in his crate?
A: For starters, make sure you’re giving your puppy plenty of opportunities to go outside. Don’t expect a 10-week-old puppy to be able to "hold it" for much longer than 3-4 hours.
Dogs don’t like to lay where they’ve eliminated, so your crate should be just big enough to stand up, turn around and lay down comfortably. If the crate is too big, your puppy may urinate or defecate in one corner and lay in the other. Also, as tempting as it is to put a nice, soft blanket in the crate, this should be avoided during the housetraining period. Your dog may learn to eliminate on the blanket and push it into a corner...there! All clean.
Q: What happens if I have an 8-week-old puppy and I work full time?
A: A puppy is not physically able to hold urine in his bladder for eight hours until he is about four months old. If you have a puppy younger than that, either come home mid-day and let him out, or arrange for a neighbor, friend or family member to let the dog out. This will be temporary just until your puppy reaches four months of age.
If you cannot arrange for someone to let your young puppy out, housetraining may take longer than normal since your puppy is learning to eliminate inside and you will have to break that habit later. In the event that you are forced to leave a puppy under four months of age for a full day, you will need to give him enough room to eliminate and get away from it so he doesn’t get in the habit of laying in urine or feces. As you can see, this is contrary to what was suggested as the ideal earlier, hence the reason it takes longer to housetrain.
Q: What happens if I turn my back (even though I know I shouldn’t) and I catch my puppy "going" on my living room carpet?
A: If you actually catch your puppy "in the act" or sniffing/circling, you must act swiftly and let her know you don’t approve. Timing is everything. For most pups, a loud hand clap, or slapping a hand on the wall or table is enough to startle her and interrupt "the flow." Then get her outside and if she finishes out there, praise/praise/praise.
If you notice your puppy has finished eliminating inside, there’s no point in yelling or in holding a grudge. Your puppy will not understand it. Be sure to clean the area thoroughly to remove the odor and watch her very carefully in the future.
Never physically punish your dog for inappropriate elimination. Your dog will associate you with the punishment and will not want to "go" in front of you. You may ruin your chances to praise your dog for "going" in the correct area because the pup is now afraid to eliminate in front of you!
Q: I’d like my pup to use our yard as a bathroom and not the neighbor’s yards during walks. Can I do that?
A: Sure. While you’re going through the housetraining process, assign a word ("busy" or "hurry" are popular) to the act of your puppy eliminating. Simply say the word while he’s going and praise upon completion. Before you now it, you’ll have his potty breaks on command. Then simply ask your dog to eliminate in your yard before your walk.
For more information about pet behavior and training, please contact the Michigan Humane Society Pet Education Center at (248) 650-1059.
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