How To Housebreak Your Puppy

Posted by Michelle Johnson

January 29, 2009

by Michelle Johnson

Keeping your house spic and span with an untrained puppy is virtually impossible. If not properly trained both you and your puppy will not be happy. Housebreaking your puppy is the first training you should do. Start off with a schedule and be consistent. As creatures of habit, it is in their nature to keep schedules as pack animals.

Ideal Housebreaking Age

It is best to start housebreaking your puppy when he/she reaches 8 to 12 weeks of age.

Training Your Puppy Using A Crate

Crate Training is used to help housebreak your puppy. Make your puppy's crate as comfortable as possible. This will be his sanctuary, his own room, so to speak. It is of vital importance not to keep your puppy in the crate for more than two hours at a time. The crate is not to be used for punishment.

Crate training is used for training because dogs generally will not soil their sleeping area. Puppy's at the age of 3 months old will have to eliminate every 3 hours, therefore, you should take your puppy outside more often. If you leave the puppy in the crate longer than that, he is sure to have an accident.

Rountines Are Important For Your Puppy

When it is time to take your dog out doors to eliminate be sure to use one door only. This way he will use that door to let you know he needs to go outside.

Taking your pup out at around the same times every day will be very beneficial for the both of you. This will help in establishing a routine, and will make him learn to hold it in until you become available to take him out.

It Is Your Responsibility To Look For Clues

In order to accomplish this goal, you must pay attention to the signs that your dog is giving you when he needs to go out. He may scratch on the door, starting at the door, circling in an area or he may be constantly sniffing. That is your clue to let him out.

Consistency and Patience

Like any training endeavor, housebreaking requires a lot of patience. If you definitely despise cleaning your dog's waste off your Persian carpets on an hourly basis and having your whole house smell like a public bathroom, you want the housebreaking to be successful in a wink of an eye, if not sooner.

Common Sense Goes A Long Way

Using common sense while training your dog will make housebreaking your dog a little bit easier. At first follow his 3 hour schedule and eventually it will change into your schedule. Do not give him water before bed, do not get up every half hour if he is crying. You want him to eventually get into your schedule and out of his.

Housebreaking your puppy requires patience, consistency and a big commitment. Stick to it and you will succeed.

Best of luck!

About the Author:

Michelle Johnson has been working and caring for dogs for twenty years. Visit her blog at Rusty The Dog Blog for more articles on how to take care of your dog.

Dog Training