How to Housebreak a Puppy – Part 1
When you get a new puppy, it’s important to start housetraining them the day they come home. People commonly wait because they’re so excited for those first few days, but this is starting off right away with bad habits that can be difficult to fix later.
There are several methods for housebreaking a puppy. One is paper training, which I do not recommend, because you are basically teaching your puppy to pee inside your house on a puppy pad or on newspapers, and then later on, teaching them to potty outside. It’s much better to just teach them to go outside from the very beginning.
Another common method is crate training. This is a very popular method, and for good reason. It works well. Crate training involves putting your pup in a crate anytime you cannot supervise them. You’ll purchase a crate from your local pet shop, that is right about the same size as your puppy’s bed. This will prevent them from peeing or pooping in it, because if they do, they’ll be forced to be in close proximity to it for the remainder of the time they’re in there.
You put your puppy in the crate anytime you cannot be supervising them to make sure they don’t go potty inside. This could be when you leave the house, when you’re cooking, when you’re working, etc. This teaches your puppy that when they need to go potty, they are able to hold it. They don’t have to immediately relieve themselves.
It’s very important you get the right size crate. A crate that’s too large may cause them to go potty in one corner and sleep in the other. If the crate is too little, they won’t be able to lay down comfortably. They should have enough space in the crate to move around a little bit, and lay down.
Here’s an excellent tip that you’ll really like. You can teach your puppy a ‘potty word’. No, I’m not talking about profanity! A ‘potty word’ is a word/phrase you tell them when you want them to do their business quickly, instead of just goofing off in the yard. It doesn’t matter what your phrase is, it can be anything. I’d suggest using a word that’s exclusive to that though, not something you may say on a regular basis. Make sure you use this phrase consistently every single time.
To teach them this potty word, wait until you are outside and they are going potty. Right as they are finishing, say the potty word, then follow it up with lavish praise and a yummy treat. The better the treat, the better this will work.
Don’t ever use the potty phrase when you take them outside to play fetch or just go for a fun stroll around the block. It needs to be used exclusively when they’re doing their business. It won’t take long until you can tell them the potty phrase when you’re outside, and they’ll immediately do their business and run back to you for their treat.
Visit my website for more tips and tricks! I cover everything from paper training your dog to solving dog chewing problems at DogBehaviorExpert.com
categories: pets, dogs, puppy, dog training
