Puppy Housetraining

1)      Feed at set times, maintaining the same schedule on weekends that you use during the week.  If you feed at 7:00 a.m. on a weekday, feed at that same time on Saturday and Sunday.

2)      Feed one diet and do not vary it.  Do not feed table scraps during the housetraining period.  If you use food for training, use the same food you use as your puppy’s regular diet.

3)      Watch your puppy’s stools; if they are loose, you may be overfeeding.

4)      Take your puppy out to relieve himself on a regular schedule.  Stay with him and praise him when he goes.  Take him out after he has eaten, after he wakes from a nap, after he has been playing or when he begins to sniff around or give other indication that he needs to relieve himself.  The signs may be subtle at first so keep an eagle eye on him.

5)      When you take your puppy out to relieve himself, go straight to the spot you want to make his toilet area and stand there.  Do not walk around with him, teach him that this is the time and place to relieve himself.  Give him a word to associate with the action “Hurry up!” “Go potty!”

6)      In the house, clean accidents with a cleaner designed for urine odor.  If you catch your puppy in the act of relieving himself in the house, say “Stop!!”  Pick him up, carry him directly outside to his toilet area, wait with him until he goes there and then praise him.

7)      Keep a chart of exactly what the puppy does at what time, including accidents.  You will notice a pattern and be better able to plan his schedule.

8)      Use a crate to help train your puppy.

a.       In a room without carpet on the floor ie: the kitchen or other room where the puppy is part of the family, put his crate on the floor and surround it with an exercise pen.  This way he has the option of sleeping in the crate and playing in the area when you are unable to be ‘with’ him.  If he has been trained to newspaper, you can put papers in the area farthest from the crate.

b.      At night, have the puppy sleep in the crate next to your bed where he can hear your breathing and feel part of the family.

c.       Never isolate your puppy in the basement or garage.  He will not be happy being isolated in such a way and will doubtless carry on.  If that is your choice, you might want to ask yourself why you have chosen a dog for companionship.  Perhaps a pet who does not require the social interaction that is a hardwired part of dogs would be better.

9)      Rules of thumb…it takes roughly 4 hours from the time a pup eats until it passes through their digestive system.

10)  You can expect your puppy to stay crated for 4 hours when he is 4 months old.

11)  What goes in will always come out!