| |
If you follow this basic program carefully,
your dog/puppy should be obeying the house rules in a short
period of time with minimum wear and tear on all concerned.
Naturally it is easier to train the pup to use the out-of-doors
in warm weather, though nothing is to be gained in the winter by
teaching it to use paper inside if your ultimate goal is outdoor
elimination. You will only have to start all over and it is
possible your pup will not be reliably housebroken. The only
equipment needed is a crate, (this should be in a size your
adult dog will be able to use to stand up straight and stretch
out to sleep comfortably ) and a collar and leash. This should be in a size appropriate to
the current size of your pup.
If you work without a
crate try to confine your dog to one area with a barrier like a
child's gate, so he doesn't have the run of the house for a
while.
A word about crates, they are a blessing to you and your dog,
they are not cruel. Yes, they can be misused, but there are many
instances where a crate would have saved an awful amount of
damage to the home and a lot of heartache when the dog has to be
"gotten rid of" because it was simply being a dog. There are
several styles but basically two kinds, plastic and wire. Some
dogs prefer one to the other, though they don't always feel
strongly about it. Get whichever you can afford or like best.
The plastic carriers can get too hot even indoors so is not appropriate
for bracheocephalic dogs, wire crates are usually better.
You should begin housetraining as soon as the pup moves in with
you at a minimum of eight weeks of age. A pup any younger should
not be away from its littermates and mother. Remember that very
young pups have little control over their bodily functions——when ya gotta go, ya gotta go!!
STEP ONE: Scheduling—the "trick" of successful
housebreaking is to make a schedule and STICK TO IT. As you
adapt the following schedule to your routine, keep in mind that
a young puppy should not be expected to last more than six to
eight hours at night without a potty break or for more than
three or four hours any other time. Individuals vary, your pup
may require even more frequent outings than suggested.
Remain
flexible until you discover what his needs are. You may find
that your pup gets along well on three feedings a day instead of
the four outlined in the plan. Adjust according to your schedule
of work etc. You can easily eliminate a meal without affecting
the exercise-confinement routine. In fact, somewhere around
twelve weeks or so you will be down to two meals a day for many
puppies.
Stick to your schedule even on the weekends. This means no more
sleeping in on Saturday and Sunday. At least get up and potty
the pup, reward him and put him back in his crate until you get
up for real! Otherwise you will be teaching him bad crate
habits. If you want to play with your pup or show him off
between scheduled outings, take him out to potty first, then
walk him again every 20 minutes or so until he is returned to
his crate.
To help the pup understand the purpose of the outside time, walk
him on his collar and leash to the same area each time. NEVER
just put him outside, ALWAYS WALK HIM ON COLLAR AND LEASH,
PRAISE LAVISHLY AND COME IN IMMEDIATELY!!!! Always go out the
same door.
Find and use a “potty” word. I use “hurry-up” because when it's
cold and rainy, that's exactly what I want the little monster to
do. He will shortly know what is meant and as an adult will do
his best to oblige, a blessing when traveling.
Bear in mind that
young puppies have very distractible minds, keep the kids and
other pets inside until your mission is accomplished. Otherwise,
Baby will forget he has to go until he is back inside and on the
carpet. Bet this has already happened at least once. It is not
deliberate malice on puppy's part. This was
YOUR mistake. Potty
time is separate from walk time. By all means go for walks, the
more the better. For potty training purposes, they MUST be
separate events if you expect your pup to catch on in this
lifetime. Reward the puppy for using it outside with a "cookie"
and lavish praise. Reward the puppy for going into its crate
("kennel up") also with a cookie. Leave some safe toys in the
crate, do not leave food in the crate. Be sure water is
available to the puppy every time he comes out of the crate. You
may or may not wish to leave water in the crate. Some puppies
play in it and ruin their bedding.
STEP TWO: Correction and praise—there will be accidents
from time to time. They will usually be your fault. If you catch
him in the act, scold him and take him outside to the potty
place. If you discover the accident after the fact, just clean
it up and resolve to monitor the puppy more closely. A lot of
verbal praise is called for when the pup does well and treats
are always welcome. Your puppy will respond to the treats and
praise much more quickly than he will to scolding. Always
remember, he is just a baby and doesn't know the rules yet.
STEP THREE: Working toward the run of the house...As the
pup catches on, he'll relieve himself efficiently outdoors and
stay dry while in his crate and during playtime. He will start
indicating that he needs to go out. This can be, and often is,
very subtle!! He may stop what he is doing, get a funny
expression on his face and start toward the door (this is why
you always use the same door, he cannot possibly remember
several ways out in time) and then squat and go. You must watch
him carefully and help him be successful when he indicates.
Pick
him up and carry him outside quickly and praise him to the
skies.
After a few accident free weeks, try leaving him alone in the
kitchen outside his crate, starting with a few minutes at a time
and after puppy-proofing the room. Of course, barricade the
entrance so he STAYS in the kitchen! If his good behavior
continues, gradually increase his out of the crate time, both
when you are in and out of the room. Always praise the pup when
you return and find the room the way you left it. This doesn't
mean you go off the store for a couple of hours and expect him
to have behaved the whole period of time! You would surely not
go off and leave a two year old human baby to his own devices.
Crate him when you leave the house, being sure to have pottied
him before you do so. If you are going to be totally distracted
such as cooking dinner or taking a shower (or on the phone!),
CRATE HIM!! A private client had her seven month old puppy do
over $500 worth of damage while she took a quick shower.
Remember, prevention is better than scolding your baby after the
fact, he has NO concept of what set you off and you will be
damaging his faith in you.
If your pup slips up, return to a tight schedule for a few days.
You will be gradually working toward complete freedom of the
house. Or as complete as you wish, you may wish to have some
areas off limits. For a few months you will need to keep doors
closed or install some baby gates. Remember, praise, reward, and
prevention will have a much better effect than punishment.
Continue to accompany your pet on the potty breaks for several
months to ensure that he has done what he was sent to do. If for
some reason, such as distractions (leaves blowing, butterflies,
birds, squirrels, etc.), he doesn't do the job, back to the
crate for a short period, and then try again. You must be
extremely watchful during this training period. After a period
of a week or two or three (depending on your puppy's aptitude
and your consistency) he may walk to the door, stand there for a
moment and then unload. He tried to tell you, you just didn't
notice or weren't fast enough. Again, this is why you use the
same door, he won't have time to try and figure out which exit
to use.
It only feels like this training period will last forever, the
results will last a lifetime and are well worth the trouble and
nuisance. One more thing- do NOT feed free choice!! You will
have no hope of establishing a routine for elimination. Also, if
pup has trouble staying dry overnight, do not feed or water
after 6 PM (or as close to it as your personal schedule allows).
Remember not to play so hard that puppy will badly need water.
If you do, water lightly, no tanking up.
Well, you've read all this and it doesn't help since you are at
work all day! OK...plan B or C. Much of what you’ve just read is
still applicable to your situation. After all, you are home SOME
of the time! If this is not the case, dedicate a room as the
puppy room. Tile floors are a must. This generally means the
kitchen, bathroom or utility room. Confine your puppy to a
relatively small area of the room, covering the floor with
papers. As he gets a little older, you can make his area larger
and shrink the area covered in papers. Setting a portion of his
play area aside, with cement blocks for instance, as a potty
place will help him keep neat. If you can come home at lunch or
have a trusted friend that can come by to potty him outside you
will find he is more likely to try to hold it until he is
allowed out. As he matures, hopefully he will be trying very
hard to stay neat and clean. Do not let his area be so large
that he can pretend it's ok to potty in there.
Plan C:
Install a "Doggy Door" when your
puppy is old enough to have learned the basics. If
you are not there all the time or don't feel like getting up
early in the morning to let him out all the time then a doggy
door is a life saver. When you don't want him outside for
some reason you can always lock it with its extra door.
If you have a very small dog that will not be able to go
outdoors when the weather is inclement, you might want to
consider paper training or training him to use a large cat box
with papers. There is a product made for indoor use that is very
absorbent. Check the pet stores or dog stuff catalogs. The
training process is the same minus the outdoors and the collar
and leash. Though you may want to keep a light line on your toy
dog so you will be able to collect him to take him to the potty
pen! They are reaaalllly fast!
|
Suggested Schedule for Potty
Training |
|
Time |
Action |
Notes |
| 7AM |
WALK (to potty), FEED |
Leave food down
about 20 minutes |
WALK, PLAY
|
20 minutes or so
in kitchen or other puppy proof area |
|
CRATE |
| 11AM |
WALK, FEED |
Leave food down
about 20 minutes |
|
WALK, PLAY |
20 minutes or so |
|
CRATE |
| 3PM |
WALK, FEED |
Leave food down
about 20 minutes |
|
WALK, PLAY |
20 minutes or so |
|
CRATE |
| 7PM |
WALK, FEED |
Leave food down
about 20 minutes |
|
WALK, PLAY |
20 minutes or so |
|
CRATE |
| 11PM |
WALK |
CRATE FOR NIGHT |
Puppies ALWAYS have to go potty: When they first wake
up.....After eating ......After playing
Puppies need a lot of sleep, just as they need a lot of
exercise. Gradually increase time out of the crate with plenty
of potty breaks and increase their exercise and play time.
|
