Quick Guide to Housetraining Your Dog
Having a puppy is wonderful, except for one fact: he's not born knowing where and when to do his business. He needs you to teach him those bathroom basics through a process known as housetraining. Here are six steps to help your puppy become a housetraining ace.
Select a potty spot. People do their bathroom business in areas designated for that purpose, and so should your puppy. If his adult weight will be less than 10 pounds, a doggie bathroom can be inside the house either with a doggie litter box or on newspapers. Otherwise, find a grassy spot that's near your home and is easy to clean up. This is where you'll take your puppy each time he needs to potty.
Get a crate. Dogs like having a den of their own, and for most dogs, that den consists of a crate that's made of either wire or plastic. The crate speeds up housetraining, because it builds on your puppy's instinctive desire to do his business away from his den.
Wipe his bottom. The next time your puppy urinates, gently wipe his bottom with a paper towel. Then save that towel. On the pup's next bathroom break, place the cloth on the potty spot. The scent from his previous business will draw your pooch to the cloth - and next time, he'll know where he's supposed to potty without the help of the cloth.
Supervise! Until your puppy knows where and when he's supposed to potty, you need to watch his every move - or, when you can't watch, to put him in his crate. When he's out and about, watch for signs that he needs to relieve himself. If he begins pacing, sniffing the ground intently, circling, or stops dead in his tracks, whisk him to his designated spot. Then, when he does his business, praise him extravagantly.
Use a schedule. Taking your dog to his potty at the same times every day helps him learn to regulate his bathroom urges between those times. Start by taking your puppy out as soon as he wakes up in the morning or after a nap, after he eats, and after he plays. A dog under 4 months of age might need a dozen trips to his potty spot each day. An older puppy could get by with six to ten trips. Dogs over 1 year of age need three or four bathroom breaks each day.
Be patient. A puppy needs time and patience during housetraining. Consistency and repetition will help him understand what you want, and time will help him develop the physical control he needs to hold his water (and the other stuff) between pit stops. If your dog is over 6 months of age and hasn't had an accident in a month or so, you can consider him a housetraining graduate!
Award-winning writer Susan McCullough's books include Housetraining For Dummies, Senior Dogs For Dummies and Beagles For Dummies (all, Wiley). She lives with her husband, daughter and Golden Retriever in Vienna, Virginia. Visit her website at www.susanmc.com.
Like this article? Get more information on pet behavior in our Wellness section.
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Comments (20)
Anonymous February 24, 2009 11:39 AM
Very informative!
lol! February 28, 2009 2:43 AM
great steps to follow...bt i hv a question!
hw mny tymz shd i take a 1 week old puppy for potty...n doin all these steps vil he learn to do potty in dat place only?
anom March 25, 2009 9:15 AM
lol - your an idiot.
DogLUvr June 4, 2009 7:37 PM
That is good info.! thanx
special June 14, 2009 7:36 AM
good info. very good.
trouble June 14, 2009 7:44 AM
this pup just don't get it!I work the steps,consistantly,even giving him a break&putting paper down as a cusion.Still he does not get it!
Anonymous June 17, 2009 9:50 PM
my pet seems to still go to the other areas that are off limit to her the nose bit the news paper seem to have worked so now when I catch her ready to potty I shout in which I state no potty and she goes to the area that I have prepared.
Anonymous June 18, 2009 8:20 PM
I have a question...so my 8 weak old puppy will pee on her pad but she wont poop on them...anyone know why? Also she has accidents evreynight so should i wake up with her at night atleast once?
rascal dog litter box June 19, 2009 12:56 PM
I just got the Rascal Dog Litter Box and my miniature schnauzer uses it when I have to be away from the house for long periods of time. The box has sides so my male doesn't urinate on the walls! Also, the artificial grass on top keeps the odors inside! Check it out: www.rascaldoglitterbox.com
Jake June 20, 2009 8:48 PM
I have a beagle pup, he was going on newspaper for a while,then starting taking him outside, he doesn't go, not until I bring him into ther house...what did I do wrong? HELP!!!!
KIMBERY June 23, 2009 4:35 PM
i have a chiuha and i bearly thougt her how to do its bisness on newspaper but it still dos its bisness on the carpet but today she went on the newspaper i think she still will go on the carpet.WHQAT SHOULD I DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
maltipool June 23, 2009 10:53 PM
well my dog was train to do potty outside but she cant stop peeing the carpet... i hate it and i dont want to giver away what can i do?
winky June 24, 2009 7:49 AM
We have mini schnauzer 8 wk old puppys and i have found using the potty pads at night is the best way to avoid morning messes. the deworming caused bad runny poops.
melody June 25, 2009 6:33 PM
11 month old minuture dashound very skedish sence we have had her we got her when she was 8 months old and was never outside or given much attention. when we go to pick her up she wants to skamper away. then if we are setting she will come jump up like she wants to get up on your lap but then skampers away she doses this 2-3 times before she let you help her. potty trainging is not working we take her to same spot, often. lately she has went on furniture and dose it in her cage. help any suggestions. thanks
destiny June 28, 2009 2:08 PM
maltipool! I'm having the same problem! I've read everywhere about potty training and stuck to the rules. I don't yell at ehr or hit her, I just take her outside to do her buissness, praise ehr when she does, and just clean up the accidents that she has in the house. During the day, no prblem, at night, several accidents occur! I take her out every 45min to an hour during the day. I'm getting the advice of taking her out less often so she learns ot hold her pee, and to use the crate method when I can't be home and at night. Here is a link to potty training, and crate training http://www.pet-care-answers.com/forums/showthread.php?s=1ad53d5e2a6617e0ee5928589249e66b&p=1380#post1380 I'm gonna try the crate thing! Good Luck!!
cesarmillan June 28, 2009 10:55 PM
lol... If your dog is only 1 week old you should be making sure it is getting use to his new home first. Remember a puppy that young deserves extra care. I would wait until he can see and hear first to learn to obey your commands. Remember to be the pack leader! Stay CALM and ASSERTIVE!
lindsayslilones July 9, 2009 2:06 PM
My female beagle pup is doing better at going to the bathroom outside but she will get scared or excited and pee a little all the time. She pees when I feed her or when I let her inside. I think she gets scared and just pees herself. She also does this when I try to pick her up. Help! What do I do?
Cricket July 29, 2009 3:43 PM
My new 8 wk old puppy is slowly gettin the idea of puppy pads ... thugh it only works at MY house not at friends (i take them with me when visiting). Same thing - dont like no2's on the pad tho. Patience i think is the key to all puppy training. Last dog was toilet trained by 7weeks old ... this one gonna take a lot longer though. Also ***TIP*** avoid cleaning messes with amonia cleaning products as this smells like urine to a pup and will promote it to go again in that spot -soapy water only until trained well and truely.
Indian Girl August 25, 2009 3:06 PM
Can you take your pu outside if they have not gotten their first vcacciation yet?
Aneatra November 10, 2009 2:26 PM
My puppy is three months i live in a apartment and i was using pee-pads and she was doing really well.but she stopped using them and she goes where ever she wants to.she knows is did bad.she will run and hide.please help my apartment really is starting to smell really bad.
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