Dog HousetrainingDog housetraining of your new pup will definitely be one of the most trying experiences as a new puppy owner. It is easy to forget that dogs are not born with the ability to understand where they need to go to the restroom, just as small children are not born knowing.
Things to keep in mind... Although the task of housebreaking a dog or housebreaking a puppy may seem impossible, with a few simple rules to keep in mind, this process will become easier. The most important is to remember that puppies have small bladders. This means they will need to go out frequently, especially when they have access to their water bowl. With this in mind, it is best to limit the amount of water they are allowed to have, not just leaving the bowl lying around as you would with a housebroken dog. Always put the food and water bowls up after they have gone out for their nighttime potty training break or shortly before you plan on leaving the house. Also keep in mind when dog housetraining, that there are almost always consistently defined times when all dogs, especially puppies, will need to go to the restroom. This includes anytime they wake up from a nap, but especially as soon as they wake up in the morning. As new puppies, they will most likely not even be capable of making it through the night, and will probably need to go out every 3-4 hours for the first week or two. Another good time to take them out is 30-45 minutes after they are done eating, as well as right before they go to bed at night. Remember that the best rule to keep in mind is that preventative methods of housetraining your dog are much more effective than punishment methods. Most often punishment methods such as smacking their nose, rubbing their nose in the carpet, hitting them with a newspaper or yelling at them does often do much more than scare and confuse them. The best way to make sure your pooch becomes housetrained is to make sure you are consistent with taking them outside to go to the bathroom. Always say “go potty” when you are potty training a puppy and if they do have an accident in the house, simply say “no,” pick them up and take them outside and repeat “go potty” or whatever phrase you have selected as your command for going to the restroom outdoors. It is also especially helpful to use a dog crate when housetraining, or to place the dog in a confined area while you will be away or when you won’t be able to attend to them. If you do not have a crate available, remember to place newspaper or towels down in case they do need to go to restroom before you return. If this is the case, do not punish them, as they will not remember what they have done, but simply continue with your routine of taking them outside as soon as you come home. Soon this will become ingrained in their minds that their dog housetraining routine means they will always be going outside to use the restroom.
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