House Breaking a Puppy

House breaking a  puppy can be fairly easy or it can seem to take forever.  Even the weather can play a role, with puppies born in the middle of the winter seemingly more difficult to house break than summer puppies.  After all, you can’t really blame little puppies for not wanting to go outside in the cold and snow, can you?  Yet the fact remains that because of house breaking problems many puppies and young dogs are given up by their owners.  People won’t keep dogs who soil the house.

House breaking a puppy is one of the most important things an owner must do so the puppy can live a happy life with his family.  Fortunately, with persistence, house breaking a puppy can be done, even in the toughest cases.

When you get your puppy you should inquire about his house breaking status.  Does he already know anything?  Has he been using papers?  Has he been going outside?  What kind of environment does he come from?  Has he been kept in an area where he’s allowed to use the bathroom where he sleeps, such as a kennel?  That will make it harder for you.  If he’s been living in a home environment he probably already has some kind of house breaking skills so find out what they are.  House breaking a puppy is easier if he already has some of these skills developed.

When you first take your puppy home you can begin by introducing him to the backyard, if you have a yard and that’s where he is to potty.  You can do this before you even take him indoors.  He may need to relieve himself after a car ride and it’s better that he start outdoors than in your house.

Once your puppy is indoors he may be very excited about the new place and people, but at least he has already pottied once.  Watch him to see if he shows signs of needing to go out again.  These signs are very noticeable once you get used to them:  he may start nosing around a particular spot in the floor; he may go to the door and sniff; he may whine.  Puppies almost always give some indication before they use the bathroom, so it’s up to you to notice it.  When you see these signs you should take your puppy out to the yard, preferably back to the place he’s already used, and set him down.  Don’t dawdle!  He may not have time to waste.  And don’t jerk him up or squeeze him or he may piddle down your clothes!  Just calmly pick him up and carry him outside.

You can refine this performance in the days ahead.  Your puppy should start giving more definite signs, such as going to the door and perhaps scratching at it when he wants to go out.  House breaking a puppy can take longer than some other breeds.  It simply varies from one puppy to another.  Your ability to catch the signals are also important.  You will have to be very consistent in watching your puppy and taking him outside.  Try to catch him before he has an accident.  If he does have an accident you can remove the “evidence” to the proper spot in the backyard so he understands that’s where it’s supposed to go.  (Leave it there for a little while so your puppy can get the idea.)  But you must be consistent in catching your puppy and taking him outdoors.  If you don’t stick with it then it’s not your puppy’s fault if his house breaking fails.

Praise and reward your puppy when he uses the bathroom outside.  This will help give your puppy a little more motivation.  Remember that it’s a little pointless to punish a puppy for accidents in the house.  He can’t help them at this stage any more than a child can help wetting the bed.  Your puppy has a tiny bladder and he can’t hold anything for very long.  He’s certainly not having accidents on purpose.  He is a newcomer to your home and doesn’t really know the rules yet.  So punishment is a bad idea.  You will only frighten him.

There are different opinions about teaching a dog to use papers in the house.  For some people, such as apartment dwellers, paper training a dog can be a good idea.  You simply teach the dog to go to the papers when he needs to relieve himself since the outdoors are not readily available.  When you see the signs that your puppy is about to use the bathroom, pick him up and take him to the papers.  Some people with small dogs also prefer this option instead of turning their dogs outdoors, especially in the winter.

Some people use paper training as a transition before training their puppy to go outside.  In these cases it may be difficult to teach the puppies to stop going in the house and to use the outdoors instead.  The puppy, growing into a young dog, may be confused about where to go to the bathroom.  It can be hard to break the indoor habit if you decide you want your dog to start pottying outdoors after teaching him to use papers.

Litter box training puppies has become popular with some people.  Cat litter may be used, or a combination of rabbit pellets (alfalfa pellets) and pine shavings.

For many people the best solution for house breaking is a dog door.  A properly installed dog door allows a puppy or dog the ability to go outside when he has the need.  Most dogs prefer to relieve themselves outdoors and will quickly learn to use the dog door for that purpose.  Dog doors are particularly useful if you have multiple dogs.

House breaking a puppy takes time and attention.  You have to be committed to watching your puppy closely so you can see the signs that he needs to go outside.  If you are consistent about taking him out when you see the signs and you repeatedly reward him for his behavior you should be able to house break virtually any puppy.