Video: How to House Train Your New Puppy

House training your puppy requires more than a stack of old newspapers. It calls for patience, commitment, and above all consistency. Hi, I’m Kathy Santo for IAMS with Howdini and today we’re going to talk about how to house train your puppy.

A trusting and consistent relationship is fundamental to successful house training. The more consistent you are, the faster your puppy will learn. House training a puppy can take several weeks and sometimes longer with smaller breeds. The first step to house training your puppy is to establish a routine. Puppies do best on a regular schedule because it teaches them that there are times to eat, times to play, and times to potty.

As a general rule, a puppy can control his bladder about an hour for every month of age. So if your puppy is only three months old, he can probably only hold it for about three hours, if not less. Make sure to take him right out after he wakes up, during and after play time, and after eating or drinking because these are times he’s most likely he’ll have to go.

If you work and are unable to take your puppy outside as often as needed, you could hire a dog walker to give your puppy his necessary breaks. I recommend picking a specific bathroom spot outside and always taking him there first when he’s on a leash. While your puppy’s going, say something like “go potty,” so that you can eventually use that phrase to remind him what to do.

You should take him out for a walk or play time after he’s gone potty or he might just learn to hold it to keep you outside. Reward your puppy every time he goes potty outdoors with praise or a treat but make sure to do so immediately before he goes back into the house. Rewarding correct behavior is the best way to teach your puppy. Be careful not to reward your puppy until he’s completely finished or he may forget to finish up outside and then have an accident inside.

And remember, what goes into a puppy on a schedule, comes out of a puppy on a schedule. So always take your puppy out after feeding.

Try picking up your puppy’s water dish about 2 and a half hours before bedtime, so he won’t have as much water to try and hold overnight. If you keep a consistent schedule, your puppy can be house trained by the time he’s 5 to 6 months old. But don’t be discouraged if it takes your puppy longer or has the occasional accident. Many factors, including breed of dog, consistency, and temperament, can contribute to a longer training period. If you feel there’s little to no progress, consult with your veterinarian to be sure that a medical issue such as a bladder infection, isn’t the culprit.

Supervision in the beginning is critical. Exercise patterns are extremely helpful while house training. Keeping your puppy in a small space within eyesight will allow you to notice and react when they start showing signs of needing to eliminate. Those signs can be barking, scratching at the door, squatting, sniffing, or circling.

If you’re unable to monitor your puppy, you can confine him to an area small enough that he won’t want to eliminate there. A space just large enough for him to lay down with a couple extra inches is just fine. Many people choose to confine with a crate, which can be very helpful for house training your young dog. For more information on crate training, watch “How to crate train your puppy.” I’m Kathy Santo, for IAMS with Howdini and I hope that you found this helpful as you welcome your new addition to your family. For more information on puppy care and training, visit IAMS.com/puppy.