Housebreaking your dog is not hard, but it does require a commitment on your part. The key thing to remember is that dogs thrive on consistent cues and routines.
- Take your puppy where he is supposed to eliminate immediately when he comes home with you. This will help the puppy know the right spot immediately. If he potties inside, you need to actually catch him in the act, or he won't understand what you're mad about. Don't forget that young dogs need to go out as often as five or six times a day. Also, be sure to take your pup out right after eating, because their full tummy will weigh on their kidneys and colon.
- Work up to cratetraining your puppy, rewarding him with praise and treats along the way. Do not inadvertantly reward whining or barking with cuddles. As tempting as it is, this will reinforce the behavior (they are creatures of habit, after all). Start with just a few minutes with the wiggly, excitable youngster, and work up to a whole night. If you must crate your puppy during the day, schedule a long mid-day walk if at all possible. Allowing a puppy to get desperate in their crate is unkind to the dog and your dog will not be appropriately crate trained or housebroken.
- Make sure everyone who works with the puppy is using the same words for the same behavior. If you use "out" as the word that means "it's time to go outside, THEN we get to play," be sure that everybody who walks the dog is using that word and reinforcing the message. It's probably a good idea to review key words and tone of voice with the whole family before bringing the puppy home.
- Work up to cratetraining your puppy, rewarding him with praise and treats along the way. Do not inadvertantly reward whining or barking with cuddles. As tempting as it is, this will reinforce the behavior (they are creatures of habit, after all). Start with just a few minutes with the wiggly, excitable youngster, and work up to a whole night. If you must crate your puppy during the day, schedule a long mid-day walk if at all possible. Allowing a puppy to get desperate in their crate is unkind to the dog and your dog will not be appropriately crate trained or housebroken.
Your puppy really, really wants to please you. Make it easy for him by being consistent. Be stern-voiced when he does the wrong thing. Lavish him with praise and attention when he does the right thing -- this applies to everything, but is particularly useful when housebreaking.
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