Housebreaking A Puppy Home
If your new puppy is going to be an inside pet, then you should strongly consider housebreaking him. Housebreaking a puppy not only stops him from urinating or defecating in the house, but also trains him to hold it until it’s time to go outside. Keep in mind that in order to housebreak a puppy, you will have to invest time and energy for about a month or so. You should have the following items before you bring your new puppy home. You will need a crate, basically a small dog carrier or kennel, preferably plastic material because it’s easier to clean out. Toys, dog treats, verbal command (potty/outside), potty location, patience, good attitude, hard liquor or beer, Motrin and additional patience will be needed during this process.
You should
begin the process of housebreaking your puppy as soon as you get home. A puppy does not like to soil the place it sleeps; therefore the crate needs to be small but just big enough for the puppy to be comfortable in. If the crate is too large, the puppy will not “hold it” and he will find an area to relieve himself. Keep your puppy in his crate throughout the day. No food or water goes in the crate during this process, but you can give him a chew toy to keep him occupied. A puppy around 12 weeks needs to relieve itself around 6 times a day, also after napping and every meal. The next part of this process is probably the most important part of housebreaking your puppy. When it’s time to take a potty break, you need to pick your puppy up and carry him outside to area you chose as the potty location. You don’t want your puppy to have any accidents on your way outside; this is why you don’t let him walk.
When you reach the potty area say and repeat the verbal command, such as “potty” or “outside” while he is sniffing around. Remember, it is important to stick with this word once you choose it. Be patient and don’t rush your puppy during this time. If after 10 minutes of circling and sniffing around and your puppy shows no signs of needing to potty then take him back inside, put him back in his crate and try again in about twenty minutes. Once your puppy relieves himself continue to repeat your command word and the instant he finishes, praise and reward him with a treat then take him back in immediately. During the potty times, you want your puppy to understand that it’s time to potty and not play so try not to let him linger around.
Now immediately after a successful potty break you can give your puppy playtime inside the house. However, do not let him have free roam of your house and watch him closely. Pay attention to your puppies behavior during this time, if he starts to walk in circles or sniff then take him back outside. Puppies require constant supervision when out of their crates so if you are not going to pay attention to what the puppy is doing, then puppy should be in the crate.
Some final tips, crate training should last until the puppy learns to go potty in the right area. Do not feed your puppy close to bedtime and take away his water before you go to bed. You'll probably need to set your alarm clock to go off once or twice throughout the night, because it’s impossible for him to hold it all night. Try to keep the same routine of feeding your puppy, taking him out, and going to sleep at the same time every day. Training a puppy is time consuming, but it will pay off when you no longer have to worry about accidents.
You should
begin the process of housebreaking your puppy as soon as you get home. A puppy does not like to soil the place it sleeps; therefore the crate needs to be small but just big enough for the puppy to be comfortable in. If the crate is too large, the puppy will not “hold it” and he will find an area to relieve himself. Keep your puppy in his crate throughout the day. No food or water goes in the crate during this process, but you can give him a chew toy to keep him occupied. A puppy around 12 weeks needs to relieve itself around 6 times a day, also after napping and every meal. The next part of this process is probably the most important part of housebreaking your puppy. When it’s time to take a potty break, you need to pick your puppy up and carry him outside to area you chose as the potty location. You don’t want your puppy to have any accidents on your way outside; this is why you don’t let him walk.
When you reach the potty area say and repeat the verbal command, such as “potty” or “outside” while he is sniffing around. Remember, it is important to stick with this word once you choose it. Be patient and don’t rush your puppy during this time. If after 10 minutes of circling and sniffing around and your puppy shows no signs of needing to potty then take him back inside, put him back in his crate and try again in about twenty minutes. Once your puppy relieves himself continue to repeat your command word and the instant he finishes, praise and reward him with a treat then take him back in immediately. During the potty times, you want your puppy to understand that it’s time to potty and not play so try not to let him linger around.
Now immediately after a successful potty break you can give your puppy playtime inside the house. However, do not let him have free roam of your house and watch him closely. Pay attention to your puppies behavior during this time, if he starts to walk in circles or sniff then take him back outside. Puppies require constant supervision when out of their crates so if you are not going to pay attention to what the puppy is doing, then puppy should be in the crate.
Some final tips, crate training should last until the puppy learns to go potty in the right area. Do not feed your puppy close to bedtime and take away his water before you go to bed. You'll probably need to set your alarm clock to go off once or twice throughout the night, because it’s impossible for him to hold it all night. Try to keep the same routine of feeding your puppy, taking him out, and going to sleep at the same time every day. Training a puppy is time consuming, but it will pay off when you no longer have to worry about accidents.