Housetraining Your New Dog

Housetraining a dog or puppy is not difficult. However, you must be consistent with your training in order to be successful. If you follow the directions below, you’ll have a housetrained dog in no time at all.

Establish a Routine
Housetraining a dog or puppy requires time and commitment from you. The more consistent you are, the faster your pet will learn appropriate behavior. Like babies, puppies do best on a regular schedule. Check with your veterinarian but, depending on its age, puppies usually need to be fed three or four times a day. Feeding your puppy at consistent times each day will make it more likely that he/she will need to go to the bathroom at consistent times as well. This will make housetraining much easier.

Reward Good Behavior
Take your puppy outside frequently. A good rule
of thumb is that a puppy can hold it one hour for every month old it is. For example, a two-month-old puppy will need to go out every two hours and a four-month-old puppy every four hours. At bedtime, most puppies can hold it for 6-8 hours. Initially, a very young pup may need a potty break in the middle of the night. Once the pup is 3-4 months of age, it should be able to hold it through the night. Just make sure you take him out right before bed and first thing in the morning. An adult dog will need to go out three to four times daily. Your puppy should also be taken outside when it wakes up from a nap, after playing, and after eating. Go outside with your puppy and when he or she urinates or defecates, praise your puppy quietly but enthusiastically. You can also give your pup a tidbit as a reward for eliminating outside. The importance of rewarding this good behavior cannot be overemphasized.

Put the Behavior on Command
Before taking your pup outside, you may ask it the question “Do you need to go outside?” Over time, the pup will learn to recognize that phrase means it is time to go outside to relieve itself. You may also teach your pup the phrase “Go potty” or “Hurry up.” At first you will need to say, “Go potty” or “Hurry up” while your pup is in the act of eliminating. After a week or so, you can repeat the phrase before your dog goes potty. If you ask your dog to go potty and he or she doesn’t eliminate, but instead continues to sniff around and ignore you, take your dog back inside and confine him/her. Dogs learn very quickly that if they don’t eliminate right away outside, they get to stay outside longer. Many owners will even take their dog for a walk to try to stimulate urination or defecation. Don’t do this. Ask your dog to eliminate right away. If he or she does, give lots of praise and affection, then take your dog on a walk or play a game as a reward for going potty. Your dog learns pretty quickly that going potty right away results in wonderful things. If he or she doesn’t go right away, take him inside and confine him. Give him another chance in about an hour. This is quickest, easiest way to create a dog who will go potty right away. It works, but only if you’re consistent and stick to this plan every single time.

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