Puppy Housebreaking Tips

A puppy, just like a newborn baby, needs lots of care, attention, time, and patience on your part. If you have the misconception that you only have to feed it regularly, take it out frequently and play with it here and there, you have another thing coming. A happy, healthy and well trained puppy all starts with you and your level of patience and care that you will provide in the months to come.

The day you bring home your puppy should be the day you immediately start to train your pet. We don't mean having the dog sit, stay or give paw but we do mean the dreaded "housebreaking". Housebreaking will be one of the most frustrating phases of owning your puppy but if you stay consistant with it, you can have your pet housebroken within a few weeks to a few months. Here are a few tips and necessities when training your puppy:

CRATE TRAINING

• Buy a crate! Crates are not bad places (unless you make it one). It will certainly assist you in the housebreaking - we promise! A matter of fact, within a few weeks, your puppy will be enjoying the crate as they will begin to see it as their "house/den". Just note, it will take time for your pet to get adjusted to it and your puppy may cry and whimper. Just stay consistant on a routine with it.
• When you purchase a crate, make sure it will accomodate your pet's size (and your pet can easily turn around in it). If you have a puppy that is anticipated to be at least 3-5 times bigger in size as an adult, we suggest buying a crate that will accomodate your pet as if it was an adult already. Most crates now a days come complete with the "optional" divider included to make the crate smaller in size on the inside for the time being.
• Don't put any expensive bedding in the crate. Our suggestion is to use old towels and blankets as they will be washed excessively due to being soiled frequently until your puppy learns to hold itself.
• NEVER put a puppy in a crate with a collar. Puppies have been known to strangle themselves!
• Since a dog's nature is not to do their "business" where they sleep, your puppy will soon realize how to hold it's bladder (or bowels) in the crate. Do not get discouraged if your puppy does have accidents for the next week or so. You will be washing the bedding frequently and perhaps bathing your puppy from time to time but this is why a crate is essential so the dog learns how to hold itself and help strengthen the bladder muscles.
• NEVER give a puppy the impression that the crate is a "bad" place. Make each visit a positive one. You may even use "treats" to lure or reward them once they volunteerly go in there. Never ever use it as a "time out - you did a bad thing" place. Puppies and dogs associate things to one another. So, if you use the crate as a disciplinary place, you will have a hard time getting them to go in there each and every time.
• A general rule of thumb of how long a puppy can hold itself is for every month it's old, it can hold it for that many hours during "up time". For example, if the dog is 3 months old, it should be able to hold it's bladder for approximately 3 hours while it's not sleeping.
• Do not leave a puppy in a crate for more than 4 hours without being let out to do it's "business" and some playtime. You will find it extremely difficult to housebreak once a puppy gets used to making "messes" in it's crate. Therefore, if you work full time, either make plans to come home everyday for lunch or have a friend/family member or perhaps a pet sitter come over. It is cruel to leave a small, young puppy in a crate for 6-8 hours at a time.
• Put ONE toy in the crate. Our suggestion is to have a rubber toy such as a Kong Binkee in there. Kongs are great as they can be chewed on safely and even stuffed with treats (and peanut butter!). This will definately stimulate your puppy mentally and physically while being left alone. Also, if it does get soiled on, it is easy to clean. We, however, DO NOT recommend plush, soft toys while young puppies are crated. Puppies in crates have "unsupervised" time and therefore, have the time to destroy soft plush toys and potentially eat the "stuffing" or even choke on the squeaker, should they get it out. Therefore, keep a safe but fun toy in the crate at all times.
• Do not place a crate near any electrical outlets that have electrical cords dangling from them. A bored puppy can easily find a dangling electrial cord as a toy and potential get it in it's crate to chew on thus causing the puppy to get an electrical shock.
• Place the puppy in it's crate while you go to bed. A young puppy should not be sleeping in your bed just yet (should you decide to do that). However, you may find it more soothing, for you and the puppy, to place the crate "near" your bed. Putting the puppy's crate in another room may cause the puppy to cry for lengths of time and as such, you not being able to sleep a restful night's sleep. A puppy that can see, smell and hear you will be more comforted, especially that it still needs to adjust to it's new home and surroundings.
• What goes in, must come out. Therefore, do not put water in the pet's crate during sleeping hours. A puppy's water can be taken away at 9-10pm. Also, if your puppy is in a crate for small intervals, having access to water is not necessary either. Your puppy can easily eat and drink when they are out of the crate and while you have the time to take it out to relieve itself.
• Never let a puppy's paws touch the ground when taking them out of the crate for the first few weeks. Pick up your puppy and take directly outside to avoid any accidents to the backdoor.

HOUSEBREAKING OUTSIDE OF THE CRATE

Once your puppy has learned the ability to hold itself in the crate, it does not mean your puppy is housebroken. You have just only hurdled over one small leap. Here are a few more suggestions to help you get closer to housebreaking your puppy successfully:

• Once you have just carried your puppy from the crate to outside, make and keep one word that you will consistantly use frequently everyday (i.e. "do business", "do potty", or "do pee-pee"). Say your choosen command over and over again until the puppy does what it's suppose to do and reward him/her with a favorite treat. Just make sure it has eliminated itself completely and then bring them inside.
• We do not recommend keeping a puppy outside for playtime after it has eliminated itself completely. The trick is to have the puppy only associate the "outside" as a bathroom area for right now.
• DO NOT give a puppy free roam of the house! This is the most important and crucial step in housebreaking your puppy successfully. If your puppy has mastered holding itself in a small, confined area (it's crate), giving a puppy free roam of the house or even a large room will give them plenty of opportunity to have accidents, especially if you can not watch your puppy's every move. Start the puppy's "privledged" area off small. A good place would be gating off a kitchen area where your puppy can eat, play, etc.. Also, if your puppy has an occassional accident, it would be easy to clean up as well.
• Your puppy's every moment outside of the crate should be supervised closely. The last thing you want is for your puppy to have a small accident and you not even seeing it. Unseen accidents that have not been cleaned properly will just give your puppy the thought that it can go there again. Canines have the instinct to go in the same place as this is where they smell their marking. Therefore, do not allow your pet the opportunity to do so in your house!
• If you see your puppy sniffing the floor or just moving in a pacing motion, take your puppy outside immediately and say your choosen command word until it has done their business. Again, reward them for a "job well done!". Just remember, you will be doing this SEVERAL times a day!
• Puppies should be let outside to do their business approximately 10-20 minutes after each meal, during playtimes, and before they go to bed. Just make sure, again, that they are let out immediately (without their paws touching the floor) after nap time or when you immediately wake up.
• Should your puppy have an accident in the house, do not use regular household cleaners as they will not destroy the enzymes in urine and feces. Although you can spray the area with a regular cleaner or fabric refreshing spray, to a dog's nose, they will still smell urine! A good product to kill the scent and enzymes is using Natures Miracle or a simple vinegar/water solution.
• If your puppy does have an accident in the house that you did not see with your own eyes (even though the evidence is right there), DO NOT discipline your puppy. It is actually your own fault that you were not there to "correct" the behavior. Usually a puppy will give you a few seconds of "signals" that they are about to go. So, therefore, just clean it up and and continue on. A puppy's attention span is like a baby's and will not know what or why they are in trouble. Catching the behavior or simply not giving your puppy the opportunity to make a "mess" will strengthen the association of the "outside" as the bathroom area making housebreaking more successful.
• Be prepared to be accident-free for a few days or a few weeks and then find your puppy just having an accident. This is normal. Just stay consistant and don't get discouraged. The little "light bulb" in their brain will go back on, as we say.
• If you can not watch your puppy (you have to take a shower, clean the house, etc..), use the crate! The crate is also a great way to give your puppy some "down time" for a nap.

OTHER HOUSEBREAKING TIPS

If you live in an apartment and do not have your own backyard, housebreaking will become a little more difficult as you don't have the ability to just open up the backdoor and have your own yard. Therefore, here are some suggestions that are useful, especially if you have a smaller breed:

• Puppy Pads - These are disposable pads that are just placed on the floor for your pet to eliminate on. Many people put them in a laundry area, kitchen or bathroom. Because many brands are "pre-scented" to lure your pet to go on them, housebreaking can be quite easy.
• Pet a Potty - This is a great product, especially if you live in a condo or an apartment. They come in many sizes from tiny to XXXL to accomodate the smallest to larger of breeds. Gives your pet a place to eliminate itself anywhere, even if you don't have grass! Perfect for balconys or terraces.

We hope you find some or all of our suggestions useful. If you feel that you have done all of the above (and then some) and your puppy is still having consistant accidents in your home, please make an appointment for your puppy to be checked by a vet immediately. Your puppy may be experiencing a medical issue such as a bladder infection.