The most difficult aspect of owning a new puppy is housetraining. If done correctly and consistently, your puppy can be housetrained much sooner. Remember, up until you brought the puppy home, he urinated and defecated at will, wherever he wanted. One of the biggest myths in housetraining involves bringing your puppy to his mess, holding his nose over his litter and scolding him, in the hopes that he won´t mess around again. However, the fact is, puppies cannot connect your yelling to what they did 10 minutes ago. This crude and rude method of housetraining does not work and causes the puppy more emotional harm than good.
But the good news is, with the right tools, housetraining does not have to be frustrating. Make sure you have the necessary tools that make housetraining successful:
- A crate is an invaluable training tool. Although it seems cruel at first, this is actually the best method to housetrain your pup. Whenever the puppy is inside the home, but cannot be watched, put him in the crate. The crate eventually becomes your puppy´s "den", as well, where he can retreat when needed. The crate should be large enough for his sleeping blanket or mat to fit in. You may have to buy a larger crate as your puppy grows, but remember not to buy a crate that is too big. Dogs do not like to soil their beds because they would be forced to lay in the mess. If the crate is too large, your dog will soil at the far end of the crate. Most puppies can control their bladder and bowels for a longer time than we expect. Young puppies, about 8 or 9 weeks old, can often last for 7 or 8 hours, however, try never to leave them unattended in a crate for that long.
- Before you put your pet in the crate, take him outside to his favorite spot. Also, this is the first thing you should do when you take him out of the crate. Lots of praise and a small treat will reinforce his good behavior when he potties outside. Keep him in sight when he is out of the crate and when you notice his "potty" behavior, quickly take him out. If you catch him urinating or defecating in the house, pick him up, calmly say "no" and take him to his favorite spot outside. When he finishes, enthusiastically tell him, "good dog". Never scold him for messes you did not catch him making! Do not place food and water in the crate, only a blanket and chew toys. Crating over the night is a good idea, he might complain at first, but rest assured that the whining will soon settle down. Removing him from the crate when he cries will reinforce the behavior. Leave him out of the crate for longer periods of time as you start to trust him.
- Use scent control products and stain removers for cleaning up his accidents.
- A good training book is always useful.
- Feeding on schedule helps your pup´s body get used to having to relieve on a schedule.
- Use a lead and collar when you take him outside.
Sharon E. Anderson, DVM
