Housetraining Your Dog

This method of housetraining is focused on preventing “accidents” instead of waiting for the accidents to happen. The goal is to make it easy for the puppy to do the right thing in the first place. Training in this way is faster and more effective than punishing the dog for mistakes. You play the most important part in the success or failure of this method. You must be patient, determined, and consistent for it to work. If you already own an adult dog with housetraining problems, you can use this method to start fresh just as you would with a puppy.

Why Crates?

This method also requires the use of a dog crate, or at least, a small confined area for the pup to stay in when they can’t be supervised. Crates act as your dog's private room where they can rest and stay safe, secure, and out of trouble. Your puppy needs to be protected from hurting themself and destroying your furniture. A crate will make the job so much easier!

The first few weeks

The first few weeks of owning a puppy or dog are some of the hardest and most important. Spending extra time and effort now will pay off in a big way.

• Puppies have very little bladder control (especially under 12 weeks). They usually don’t know they’re going to “go” until the moment they do! It’s not realistic to expect them to tell you ahead of time. If you’re observant, you’ll see that a puppy who’s looking for a place to go potty will suddenly circle about while sniffing the floor. The sniffing is instinct– he’s looking for a place that’s already been used. If he can’t find one, he’ll start one!
• Dogs prefer to be clean and stick to a routine.
• Dogs usually need to go: When they wake up in the morning or after a nap, shortly after eating and drinking, before they go to sleep, after stressful events, after active play (or sometimes during!)

Don’t wait for the dog to “tell” you that it has to go out. Just assume that they do and take them outside!

First Night Home

1. Start off right: Carry the puppy from your car to the yard. Set him on the grass and let him stay there until he potties. When he does, tell him how wonderful he is!
2. Playtime and bonding, regular trips outside: After bringing the pup inside, you can play with him for an hour. Plan on taking the puppy outside every two hours (at least) while he’s awake. 
3. Feed dinner and go outside immediately: Feed the puppy his supper in his crate. After a meal, carry him outside to potty before you do anything else. Wait for him to have a bowel movement before bringing him back in. Some pups get their jobs done quickly; others may take half an hour. If he’s being slow, walk around the yard encouraging him to follow you. Walking tends to get things moving, so to speak. Start using a word cue, for example, “hurry up”. Be very happy when you have success. 
4. Crate overnight: If he cries during the night, he probably has to go out. Carry him outside to potty, then put him back in the crate with a minimum of cuddling. If you play with him, he might decide he doesn’t want to go back to sleep. Puppies usually sleep through the night within a few days.

Daytime Schedule

Establish a regular schedule of puppy trips and feedings. This helps you control the times he has to go out and prevent accidents in the house.

Feed breakfast in the crate and don’t let him out again for ½ hour. Then carry him back outside to the potty. Puppies usually have a bowel movement after each meal, so give him time to accomplish it. Now he can have another inside playtime for an hour or so.

Don’t give him free run of the house. Use baby gates or close doors to keep him out of rooms he shouldn’t go in. Puppies are notorious for finding out-of-the-way corners to have accidents in. Keep him in an area where you can watch him. Observation and supervision are the keys to quick housetraining! Consider using the umbilical method when the puppy has time in the house. Use a soft buckle collar on the dog or puppy, and a leash that connects you to the puppy. Accidents are prevented because you always know where the puppy is.

After playtime, take him outside again then tuck him into his crate for a nap. For the first month or so, you’ll be feeding three to four meals a day. Adult dogs only need two meals a day.

Repeat the same procedure throughout the day: potty outside the first thing in the morning, one hour playtime, potty, meal in crate, potty, playtime, potty, nap, potty, playtime, meal, etc. The playtimes can be lengthened as the puppy gets older and is more reliable. Eventually the puppy will be letting you know when he needs to go out.
Remember: If you ignore his request or don’t move quickly, he will have an accident.

This sounds like a lot of work, and it is. The results of all this running in and out will pay off in a well-housetrained puppy and clean carpets. Keep in mind that some breeds are easier to housetrain than others, and how the puppy was raised before he came to you has an effect. Pet store puppies that were allowed to use wire-bottom crates have less inclination to keep their crates clean. Puppies that were raised in garages or barns where they could “go” wherever will also be a little more difficult.

What to do if they have an accident

Remember that this method of housetraining is based on preventing accidents. By faithfully taking the dog out often enough, you’ll get faster results than if you discipline the puppy after the fact. If your puppy makes a mistake because you didn’t get him out when you should have, it’s not his fault!

If you catch the pup in the act, stay calm.

Make a startling noise, like clapping your hands or slapping the wall, just to try to stop the action. Carry him outside to an area he’s already used. As you set him on the ground, tell him “go potty”. Praise him if he finishes the job. Leave him out for a few more minutes to make sure he’s done before bringing him back in. This is a little trickier with an adult dog, especially if he’s new to you and you don’t know how he will react to being grabbed and thrust outside. Grab a leash and take him outside, and make a point of getting him outside more often.

If you come across an “old” accident, it does more harm to try to punish for it.

Dogs won’t connect a past act with your present anger. He simply won’t understand what you are so mad about. He’ll act guilty because that is behavior that dogs use to calm other dogs, and he is hoping it will work with you.

Why accidents may happen

Accidents are usually a sign that your dog wasn’t taken out in time, not that they’re being “bad.” Other common causes include:

• Health problems: Diabetes in adult dogs and urinary tract infections in both dogs and puppies can cause dogs to have to urinate more often. Urinary infections are common in young female puppies. A symptom is frequent squatting with little urine release. If you suspect a physical problem, take your dog for an examination.
• Changes in diet: Sudden changes in dog food brands or overindulgence in treats or table scraps can cause diarrhea. Dogs don’t need much variety in their diets, so you’re not harming yours by sticking to one brand of food. If you make a change, do it gradually by mixing a little of the new with the old. Gradually increase the amount of new food every day.
• Emotional changes and stress: Moving to a new home, adding a new pet or family member, etc. are all stressors that could temporarily affect their housetraining.
• Water intake changes: A sudden change of water can cause digestive upset, too. If you’re moving or traveling, take along a couple of gallons of “home” water to mix with the new. Distilled water from the grocery store can also be used.

Cleaning Up Accidents

If you’ve worked hard with this training method, you won’t have many! Put your puppy or adult dog away out of sight while you clean up a puddle. Cleaning up on a vinyl floor is pretty simple. On carpeting, get lots of paper towels and continue blotting with fresh paper until you’ve lifted as much liquid as possible.

Don’t use a cleaner with ammonia, which will attract the dog or puppy back to the spot. In a pinch, white vinegar diluted half and half with water will do. From your vet or at the pet store, pick a product that will actually neutralize the ammonia, not just cover the smell.

Puppies and dogs are attracted to urine odors, and their noses are much better than ours. Even when using a commercial odor killer, a teeny residue will be left behind that our dogs can smell. Keep an eye on that spot in the future.

More helpful tips

Avoid paper training: By only allowing the pup to relieve itself outside, you’re teaching it that it’s not acceptable to use the house. Using newspapers in the house will override this training. Also, be aware that many puppies get the notion that going potty near the papers is as good as going on them! If you must use newspapers when you’re gone, keep to the regular housetraining schedule when you’re at home. Get the puppy outside often enough and don’t leave papers out “just in case.”

Keep the yard clean: The yard should be free of stool and messes. Many dogs choose an isolated area to use as a bathroom. If left to become filthy, they’ll refuse to use it and do their business in the house instead. If your dog has to be tied up when he’s outside, keeping the area clean is even more critical. Picking up stools helps you keep tabs on your dog’s health as well. Stools should be firm and well-formed. Loose, sloppy stools can be an indication of worm health problems, stress, or digestive upset.

Older dogs can learn, too: You can use a modified puppy schedule to train an unbroken dog or one that’s having housetraining problems. Start from the beginning, just as you would for a puppy. .An older dog can be expected to control itself for longer periods, provided you take it outside at critical times – first thing in the morning, after meals, and the last thing at night. Until they are reliable, get them outside every 3-4 hours in between those times. Adopted older dogs that have always had freedom may be unwilling to have a bowel movement when on a leash. You can walk them longer, use a long line or a flexi-lead, or keep them confined until they have to go. Supervision is just as vital as for a puppy. You don’t want your dog to practice making mistakes in your house. You can give them more freedom as they become more reliable.