Tips for Successful Housetraining
Housetraining involves teaching dogs to reliably eliminate outdoors and to not eliminate indoors. Young puppies naturally avoid eliminating around the areas where they sleep, eat and play. You can capitalize on this tendency when you train them to eliminate in outdoor areas. Here are a few easy guidelines to follow:
- Multiple and Frequent trips: Puppy bladders are very small and young dogs have a limited ability to control their elimination habits. Puppies between 7 and 12 weeks of age should be taken outside every 20 to 30 minutes during periods of activity. In addition, always take your puppy outside immediately after waking up in the morning or after a nap, after meals, after all playing or training sessions, and right before you put him to bed for the evening.
- Consistency: Each time that you take your puppy outside for elimination, use the same door and take him to the same general outdoor area. Many owners introduce a phrase such as “Do you want to go out?” immediately before taking their puppy outside to eliminate. Always use the same words and tone for indicating that you are going outside for elimination and select another phrase for going outside for fun activities such as walking or trips to the park.
- Reward Results: Accompany your puppy outside so that you can be sure that he eliminates. As he begins to sniff and circle or starts to urinate, introduce a cue command such as “go potty” or “hurry up”. Eventually this command can be used to encourage your puppy to eliminate when you are traveling or in a rush. Stay with your puppy and praise quietly as he eliminates. (Note of caution: Keep your praise moderate – too much enthusiasm may interrupt him!).
- Supervision, supervision, supervision: Puppies are curious and love to explore. However, unsupervised exploring leads to chewing on interesting objects and eliminating in different rooms of the house. The best way to avoid accidents is to keep your puppy in the same room with you. A crate or small puppy-proofed room can safely confine your puppy when you cannot closely supervise him. As your puppy matures and becomes more reliable in his elimination (and chewing!) habits, you can gradually increase his freedom.
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