Housetraining Your Dog

Most dogs are essentially clean animals. They do not wish to eliminate in their den or sleeping area. A dog will look upon any space where it sleeps or spends a great deal of time as its den. Therefore the dog that spends most of its time outdoors will most likely look upon the inside of the home as an acceptable toilet spot. Your goal as an owner is to use these natural tendencies towards cleanliness to teach your dog or puppy that you want him to eliminate only outdoors, in an appropriate area.

Timing

In order to reach this goal you need to understand how often your dog or puppy needs to eliminate. Most young puppies will need to urinate every 45 to 60 minutes, shortly after waking up, after eating, playing and about 20 minutes after drinking. Bowel movements usually occur 3-6 times daily. These will most likely occur after waking in the morning, about 1/2 hour after meals, and whenever the puppy becomes frightened or excited. After the age of 3 1/2 to 4 months, most puppies can "make it through the night", and last 4-7 hours during the day without needing to eliminate. However, if you need to leave your "not completely housetrained" puppy or dog for longer than 5 hours at a time during the day, it is advisable to have someone come over and let them out at some point in the middle of these hours. This will help prevent accidents, and continue to reinforce good housetraining habits.

Daily Routine

Establishing a consistent daily routine is critical to efficient housetraining. Feed and exercise your puppy or dog at regular, set times of the day. Keep in mind that puppies up to 12 weeks old require 3-4 meals per day. Puppies 3-6 months of age can drop down to 2-3 meals per day, and as adults you can feed most dogs 1-2 meals daily. Always check with your veterinarian for specific guidelines for your pet.

Post-Mealtime Training

Play quietly with your puppy or dog for 10-15 minutes after each meal. Use this time for gentle handling exercises, and for teaching bite inhibition. Watch your pet closely for signs of needing to eliminate (such as: floor sniffing, circling, squatting, etc.). If any of these or other signs are present, distract the dog by clapping your hands or saying "No!", then take him outside immediately to his designated toilet area, and give him a command such as "go potty". As soon as he has eliminated outside, give him lots of praise and a small food reward. Be sure to wait until the puppy has finished doing his business so as not to distract him.

Limiting your Dog's Access

Puppies or older dogs will become trustworthy in the house much faster if they are not given the opportunity to make mistakes, and are consistently allowed to succeed and be praised for that success. This means that initially, your housetrained dog should never be allowed free run of your house. Your dog should always either be with you (with your attention on the dog), temporarily outside in a safe environment, or inside in a small enclosed area such as a crate or a gated off area in the kitchen. It is necessary for you to keep in mind your dog's elimination needs, and see that he is taken outside frequently enough to preclude the possiblity of him making a mistake indoors.

Housetraining Guidelines

- Choose only one outside toilet area for your dog's use.

- Keep a supply of your dog's favorite treats available near this toilet area.

- Keep a diary of your puppy or dog's elimination habits, so that you can be sure of meeting the needs of your individual pet.

- If your puppy or dog becomes scared or excited, take him immediately to his outside area.

- Remember that dogs are social animals. They need to spend a lot of time with you. Don't isolate them outside, in a room by themselves or in the garage. Ignoring a dog in this manner can lead to serious behavior problems.

- NEVER punish your dog by rubbing his nose in his excrement, or by using any other means of physical punishment. Dogs do not understand this, it is almost always ineffective, and can lead to aggression problems later.

- Never punish after the fact. Dogs only understand immediate rewards and punishments. "Immediate" to a dog or puppy means a few seconds. By punishing after the fact, you are merely destroying the close bond that you are trying to establish during this critical time in your relationship.

- If you find that a mistake occured, STAY CALM. At this point the best thing to do is to act indifferent. Gently put your dog away so that he is not watching you clean up. You don't want to draw attention to this location. Clean up the mess and (THIS IS VITAL), use a good odor neutralizer available either through your veterinarian's office or your local pet store. You don't want your dog to think that this spot smells like a toilet area.