The following article was taken from http://www.foundanimals.org/pet-care/ask-experts/how-to-housebreak-a-puppy
How to Housebreak a Puppy: The Basics of Crate
Training
Housebreaking a puppy is not the easiest thing in the world. It takes time,
patience and perseverance; it’s not something that happens overnight. No matter
how diligent you are, accidents will happen, arm yourself with some good
cleaning products, the best housebreaking aids
available and some knowledge about puppies, and how their bodies work.
A
puppy doesn’t have control over muscles of elimination before 4 months of age
and all puppies vary in the developmental time of these muscles. Smaller dogs
have smaller bladders and will need to urinate more frequently.
Dogs are
naturally hardwired not to eliminate in their “den.” Taking a cue from this
natural instinct, a great way to housebreak a puppy is by crate
training.
Crate Training Shopping List:
How to Prepare the Crate: 1. Put the
crate in a central location, you don’t want the crate to seem isolating or like
punishment. Ideally, you want your puppy to accept the crate as a safe and cozy
place to hang out. Put food and water bowls in there. Your puppy should eat and
drink in the crate as well.
2. If possible, move the crate
near your bed at night for the first couple weeks. This may help ease any
separation anxiety the puppy is feeling and will also wake you up to take her
out if she whines or acts restless, indicating she needs to go.
First Steps:Dogs are naturally territorial and will
mark their territory with urine. Once a dog has marked off an area she will
always be drawn back to those particular spots to mark again. This is called
scent posting. In the beginning, a puppy sees your whole home as her territory
and will not discern that the whole house is in fact, a “den.”
TIP: From the age of 8
weeks, a puppy will sniff for another dog’s (or her own) scent to pee over. You
may want to have a friend’s dog come and pee in your backyard or collect your
own puppies urine (if you are able to) and deposit that in the area you want her
to go. However, sometimes a timid dog will not go near another dogs urine,
every dog is different.
First Time in the Crate:
Signs Your Puppy Needs to Go:A puppy’s bladder is
small and her digestive system works quickly. There is a very short amount of
time from feeling the need to go and actually doing it. Remember that until 4
months of age, puppies don’t have control over when they eliminate.
How Long Can a Puppy Wait:
Gating Off Sections of the House:During the
housebreaking period, it’s important that you always have eyes on your puppy.
She shouldn’t roam free in the house, not until she understands that all the
rooms in the house, even the ones that aren’t used that much and are dark and
quiet, are her den.
You may want to get a gate or two and gate off
rooms in the house. This gives her more freedom than being in the crate but
doesn’t set her up to fail by allowing her places to get into trouble
unsupervised. A gate is a very handy housebreaking aid and useful in raising a
dog in general.
Accidents Will Happen:The only time you can really
scold your puppy and have her make the association is if you catch her in the
act. Clap your hands together and that may stop her in mid pee, either way,
scoop her up and take her outside. Once she finishes outside, give her treats
and praise. Though our natural reaction would be to get upset, actually, you’ve
just caught a lucky break for training. Accidents will happen and housebreaking
can be a messy process.
Cleaning Up Shopping List:
Cleaning Up:
respond the same way to these techniques, the important thing is to keep trying.
Training
Housebreaking a puppy is not the easiest thing in the world. It takes time,
patience and perseverance; it’s not something that happens overnight. No matter
how diligent you are, accidents will happen, arm yourself with some good
cleaning products, the best housebreaking aids
available and some knowledge about puppies, and how their bodies work.
A
puppy doesn’t have control over muscles of elimination before 4 months of age
and all puppies vary in the developmental time of these muscles. Smaller dogs
have smaller bladders and will need to urinate more frequently.
Dogs are
naturally hardwired not to eliminate in their “den.” Taking a cue from this
natural instinct, a great way to housebreak a puppy is by crate
training.
Crate Training Shopping List:
- A metal collapsible crate that she can grow into, not too big that it
doesn’t feel den like, but big enough for the grown dog to stand up, turn around
and stretch in. - Dog toys and chews so the crate is inviting.
- A cozy dog bed or blanket. I like these waterproof blankets
because they can be used anywhere and washed and reused.
How to Prepare the Crate: 1. Put the
crate in a central location, you don’t want the crate to seem isolating or like
punishment. Ideally, you want your puppy to accept the crate as a safe and cozy
place to hang out. Put food and water bowls in there. Your puppy should eat and
drink in the crate as well.
2. If possible, move the crate
near your bed at night for the first couple weeks. This may help ease any
separation anxiety the puppy is feeling and will also wake you up to take her
out if she whines or acts restless, indicating she needs to go.
First Steps:Dogs are naturally territorial and will
mark their territory with urine. Once a dog has marked off an area she will
always be drawn back to those particular spots to mark again. This is called
scent posting. In the beginning, a puppy sees your whole home as her territory
and will not discern that the whole house is in fact, a “den.”
- The first time you bring your puppy home, carry her to the spot you want her
to pee in and set her down. On a leash, lead her around your backyard or
whatever area it is you’d like her to urinate in. - Be sure to have treats and praise at the
ready any and every time she pees outside.
TIP: From the age of 8
weeks, a puppy will sniff for another dog’s (or her own) scent to pee over. You
may want to have a friend’s dog come and pee in your backyard or collect your
own puppies urine (if you are able to) and deposit that in the area you want her
to go. However, sometimes a timid dog will not go near another dogs urine,
every dog is different.
First Time in the Crate:
- The best time to put the puppy in the crate is after she’s tired from
exercise and ready to sleep. - Lead your puppy into the crate while giving praise and positive
reinforcement. - Give your puppy a kong with peanut butter
or some food to enforce that the crate is a happy place to be. - If your puppy whines and cries and you know she doesn’t have to go out,
you must ignore it. If a puppy doesn’t get any attention (negative or positive)
after 20 minutes or so they usually quiet down. Letting the puppy out of the
crate when she cries will only enforce the behavior and let her know that’s what
she must do to get out. I know it’s hard but very important not to set negative
patterns.
Signs Your Puppy Needs to Go:A puppy’s bladder is
small and her digestive system works quickly. There is a very short amount of
time from feeling the need to go and actually doing it. Remember that until 4
months of age, puppies don’t have control over when they eliminate.
- If your puppy barks or whines at you, starts sniffing the ground in little
circles, panting or raising her tail while doing any of these things, it’s time
to take her out and quickly.
How Long Can a Puppy Wait:
- Before a puppy reaches 12 weeks old, he will need to go every 1 to 2
hours. - A loose rule of thumb is that a puppy can “hold it” for the amount of
hours that corresponds to his age in months, plus one. So a 3 month old puppy
can hold it for 4 hours. 4 hours is the maximum and he may feel the need to go
out more frequently than that. - Smaller breed dogs have smaller bladders and will need to go out more
frequently regardless of age.
Gating Off Sections of the House:During the
housebreaking period, it’s important that you always have eyes on your puppy.
She shouldn’t roam free in the house, not until she understands that all the
rooms in the house, even the ones that aren’t used that much and are dark and
quiet, are her den.
You may want to get a gate or two and gate off
rooms in the house. This gives her more freedom than being in the crate but
doesn’t set her up to fail by allowing her places to get into trouble
unsupervised. A gate is a very handy housebreaking aid and useful in raising a
dog in general.
Accidents Will Happen:The only time you can really
scold your puppy and have her make the association is if you catch her in the
act. Clap your hands together and that may stop her in mid pee, either way,
scoop her up and take her outside. Once she finishes outside, give her treats
and praise. Though our natural reaction would be to get upset, actually, you’ve
just caught a lucky break for training. Accidents will happen and housebreaking
can be a messy process.
Cleaning Up Shopping List:
- Odor Eliminating cleaner for carpets and fabrics.
These products work by breaking down the waste with enzymes and neutralizing the
smell, this way, a dog won’t re-mark the spot. - Lots and lots of paper towels.
Cleaning Up:
- Clean up any messes immediately. Once urine has soaked through to the
carpet pad it’s very difficult to clean. Soak up urine with paper towels and
then saturate the area with enzymatic cleaner. Let it sit for an hour, then soak
that up with paper towels. Later, you can sprinkle it with baking soda and
vacuum it up for good measure. - If you have tile or hardwood, these messes won’t be a big deal, just wipe
up and clean and dry the area thoroughly. - For old messes: enzymatic cleaners can work to break down old stains with
a few treatments. Locate the old stains using a black light (works on carpet,
wood and walls) and retreat those areas.
respond the same way to these techniques, the important thing is to keep trying.
Bringing your new puppy
home
Now that you’re home with
your puppy, it becomes your responsibility and
challenge to educate and socialise this puppy so
that it may become a pleasant, useful, happy and
well adjusted companion.
It is important to understand
that a eight week-old pup is just a baby. He has
just been separated from his mother and litter mates,
from familiar faces and surroundings. This is a
BIG adventure for him and your job is to make the
experience as pleasant as possible while not overindulging
him. You should try to be reassuring and friendly,
and avoid having many people over to meet the pup.
There will be plenty of time later for getting to
know friends and neighbours. You need to be careful
not to overwhelm him, let him get used to his new
surroundings.
Physical Surroundings
You should provide a quiet
area to place his crate, a place where he can rest
in peace. He will need a lot of sleep. In fact, at
that age, a puppy spends more time sleeping than
doing anything else. You must never disturb or disrupt
his sleep. Do not put a blanket or pillow in the
crate, as this could encourage him to relieve himself
during the night.
You should puppy-proof
the house, remove all sources of potential danger
for the pup. Electrical wires must be protected
from his sharp teeth; small objects like coins and
marbles should be removed, plants should be out of
reach, and generally anything you don’t want
chewed up should be stored safely out of his
reach.
You should put his feed and water bowls
in a quiet area and make sure he has access to
clean water at all times.
I suggest keeping a box in which you can store his
toys when he is in his crate.
Puppy psychology
The first thing you have to
think about is your general attitude towards the
pup. Most people want their dog to be a friend,
companion, playmate and guardian. If you want your
dog to love and protect you, you must first bond
with him and earn his trust and respect. Raising a
pup successfully is a lot like raising children.
You must determine which behaviors are acceptable,
desirable, and unacceptable. You must think of how
you will encourage and nurture the desirable, and
avoid and discourage the unpleasant behaviors. You
need to be consistent and never let him get away
with something he isn’t allowed to do.
Puppy Discipline
One must realize that there
is no use in punishing a young pup. This puppy is
the equivalent a young baby and we would never think
of expecting good manners from a six-month old child,
would we? This is not the time for punishments and
reprimands. This is the period for imprinting and
encouraging positive behavior. This is the best
time to show the puppy that when he pleases you,
he is rewarded with attention, and this is how he
will learn to want to please you. A dog that wants
to please you will be easy to train and will generally
not need harsh discipline.
So if I can’t
punish him, then how do I keep him from doing
things I don’t want? For example biting hands,
chewing the furniture, eating shoes, peeing on the
floor!!!
It is important to understand that a
baby can do no wrong. He simply does what he does
because he is a puppy. It is your job and
responsibility to ensure that he doesn’t get into
trouble and do things that are annoying to others
or dangerous to himself.
The best way to ensure that he doesn’t get
into trouble is supervision. Pay constant and total
attention to the pup when he is not in his crate.
If you are watching him, he can’t get in trouble.
This is also the best way to toilet-train him very
quickly. By this I mean that the puppy should be
in his crate at all times if you are not actively
supervising him.
This may sound harsh, but it
is only for a while in the puppy’s life; he will
sleep when you put him in the crate and he will
learn his place in the house. You are the boss,
not the other way around. When you have had
enough, it’s time to go. If he cries, ignore him.
If you cave in, you are giving him control and
loosing your role as pack leader. He will not
respect a weak leader and will always seek to
challenge your authority and, as he grows older,
this will become more and more problematic. This
is the ideal moment in your relationship to
ingrain that principle firmly in his head. You are
the boss, you decide what goes, you are a constant
and fair leader, and you will absolutely not give
in or take no for an answer. That is the sort of
person a dog respects. The parameters are cristal
clear, the dog knows what is acceptable and what
is not. The dog is comfortable when he knows where
his place is in the pack. If you are fair and
loving even in discipline, he will respect and
want to please you.
Avoiding Undesirable
Behaviors
Since we agree that there is
no reason to discipline a young pup, how then do
we deal with annoying habits they have?
Biting:
It is a
good idea to always have a toy between you and the
dog when playing so that your hands and clothes
are not the object of the play, so that he directs
his attacks at the toy. When you do put your hands
on the pup, it should be in a calming way, to
soothe, pet, stroke him. He should associate your
touch with love and nurturing, calm and pleasure.
Play games that are not confrontational (tug, roughhousing,
etc.). Encourage games that will bring you and the
dog closer to each other such as fetch, hide-and-seek,
etc.
Jumping up on people
It is very annoying when
people come to the door and the puppy jumps all
over them. The best way to avoid this is to put
the puppy in his crate until the guests are
settled in and you are ready to focus on the pup.
Then you take him out of the crate and (after
peeing outside) introduce him in a controlled
setting.
You can also put him on his leash and
control his jumping by keeping him at a distance
if you want him to be at the door when the guests
arrive.
Chewing objects
The best way to deal with this is supervision. You must remove all objects from his
grasp or consider them fair game. If he is chewing on objects such as table or chair legs, then you
can simple say a firm NO and pick him up and simply remove him from the area. You can try spraying
some repellent on the surface such as Citronella or Bitter Apple available in pet supply stores.
Hitting or screaming at the pup will not make him stop: it will only make him fear and avoid you.
(keep in mind we are talking about a very young puppy here, not a four month old pup).
If things seem unmanageable…call for back
up!
Do not hesitate to seek help from a professional dog trainer. I recommend the
trainer visit you in your home with all the family members present. This way the trainer can best assess
the situation and see how the dog behaves in his environment. In home training may seem a bit more expensive, but in the long run it is more efficient and addresses issues in a much more personalised manner. Get references form your veternarian clinic to help you find the right trainer.
home
Now that you’re home with
your puppy, it becomes your responsibility and
challenge to educate and socialise this puppy so
that it may become a pleasant, useful, happy and
well adjusted companion.
It is important to understand
that a eight week-old pup is just a baby. He has
just been separated from his mother and litter mates,
from familiar faces and surroundings. This is a
BIG adventure for him and your job is to make the
experience as pleasant as possible while not overindulging
him. You should try to be reassuring and friendly,
and avoid having many people over to meet the pup.
There will be plenty of time later for getting to
know friends and neighbours. You need to be careful
not to overwhelm him, let him get used to his new
surroundings.
Physical Surroundings
You should provide a quiet
area to place his crate, a place where he can rest
in peace. He will need a lot of sleep. In fact, at
that age, a puppy spends more time sleeping than
doing anything else. You must never disturb or disrupt
his sleep. Do not put a blanket or pillow in the
crate, as this could encourage him to relieve himself
during the night.
You should puppy-proof
the house, remove all sources of potential danger
for the pup. Electrical wires must be protected
from his sharp teeth; small objects like coins and
marbles should be removed, plants should be out of
reach, and generally anything you don’t want
chewed up should be stored safely out of his
reach.
You should put his feed and water bowls
in a quiet area and make sure he has access to
clean water at all times.
I suggest keeping a box in which you can store his
toys when he is in his crate.
Puppy psychology
The first thing you have to
think about is your general attitude towards the
pup. Most people want their dog to be a friend,
companion, playmate and guardian. If you want your
dog to love and protect you, you must first bond
with him and earn his trust and respect. Raising a
pup successfully is a lot like raising children.
You must determine which behaviors are acceptable,
desirable, and unacceptable. You must think of how
you will encourage and nurture the desirable, and
avoid and discourage the unpleasant behaviors. You
need to be consistent and never let him get away
with something he isn’t allowed to do.
Puppy Discipline
One must realize that there
is no use in punishing a young pup. This puppy is
the equivalent a young baby and we would never think
of expecting good manners from a six-month old child,
would we? This is not the time for punishments and
reprimands. This is the period for imprinting and
encouraging positive behavior. This is the best
time to show the puppy that when he pleases you,
he is rewarded with attention, and this is how he
will learn to want to please you. A dog that wants
to please you will be easy to train and will generally
not need harsh discipline.
So if I can’t
punish him, then how do I keep him from doing
things I don’t want? For example biting hands,
chewing the furniture, eating shoes, peeing on the
floor!!!
It is important to understand that a
baby can do no wrong. He simply does what he does
because he is a puppy. It is your job and
responsibility to ensure that he doesn’t get into
trouble and do things that are annoying to others
or dangerous to himself.
The best way to ensure that he doesn’t get
into trouble is supervision. Pay constant and total
attention to the pup when he is not in his crate.
If you are watching him, he can’t get in trouble.
This is also the best way to toilet-train him very
quickly. By this I mean that the puppy should be
in his crate at all times if you are not actively
supervising him.
This may sound harsh, but it
is only for a while in the puppy’s life; he will
sleep when you put him in the crate and he will
learn his place in the house. You are the boss,
not the other way around. When you have had
enough, it’s time to go. If he cries, ignore him.
If you cave in, you are giving him control and
loosing your role as pack leader. He will not
respect a weak leader and will always seek to
challenge your authority and, as he grows older,
this will become more and more problematic. This
is the ideal moment in your relationship to
ingrain that principle firmly in his head. You are
the boss, you decide what goes, you are a constant
and fair leader, and you will absolutely not give
in or take no for an answer. That is the sort of
person a dog respects. The parameters are cristal
clear, the dog knows what is acceptable and what
is not. The dog is comfortable when he knows where
his place is in the pack. If you are fair and
loving even in discipline, he will respect and
want to please you.
Avoiding Undesirable
Behaviors
Since we agree that there is
no reason to discipline a young pup, how then do
we deal with annoying habits they have?
Biting:
It is a
good idea to always have a toy between you and the
dog when playing so that your hands and clothes
are not the object of the play, so that he directs
his attacks at the toy. When you do put your hands
on the pup, it should be in a calming way, to
soothe, pet, stroke him. He should associate your
touch with love and nurturing, calm and pleasure.
Play games that are not confrontational (tug, roughhousing,
etc.). Encourage games that will bring you and the
dog closer to each other such as fetch, hide-and-seek,
etc.
Jumping up on people
It is very annoying when
people come to the door and the puppy jumps all
over them. The best way to avoid this is to put
the puppy in his crate until the guests are
settled in and you are ready to focus on the pup.
Then you take him out of the crate and (after
peeing outside) introduce him in a controlled
setting.
You can also put him on his leash and
control his jumping by keeping him at a distance
if you want him to be at the door when the guests
arrive.
Chewing objects
The best way to deal with this is supervision. You must remove all objects from his
grasp or consider them fair game. If he is chewing on objects such as table or chair legs, then you
can simple say a firm NO and pick him up and simply remove him from the area. You can try spraying
some repellent on the surface such as Citronella or Bitter Apple available in pet supply stores.
Hitting or screaming at the pup will not make him stop: it will only make him fear and avoid you.
(keep in mind we are talking about a very young puppy here, not a four month old pup).
If things seem unmanageable…call for back
up!
Do not hesitate to seek help from a professional dog trainer. I recommend the
trainer visit you in your home with all the family members present. This way the trainer can best assess
the situation and see how the dog behaves in his environment. In home training may seem a bit more expensive, but in the long run it is more efficient and addresses issues in a much more personalised manner. Get references form your veternarian clinic to help you find the right trainer.