Housebreaking a new puppy needn’t be difficult, but there are some firm ground rules that should be set early on. Consistency is the key.
This, plus the dog’s trainability, will determine how long it takes to housebreak a new puppy. Some dogs get it right in a few days, while others take several weeks or months to understand the rules of puppy toilet training. This article also looks at crate training.
Paper Training Puppy Indoors
At first, many people go with paper training puppy (as opposed to going straight outdoors). This means training the puppy to relieve itself on newspapers or training pads. The first rule of housebreaking a new puppy is to put the paper far away from the puppy’s main play area, food bowl and bed.
Getting it Right
When the puppy begins to sniff around in small circles, it is looking for a good place to relieve itself. Pick up the puppy and move it to the paper training area immediately. Or, take it outside. When the puppy urinates or defecates in the right place, praise it, stroke it or give it a treat. Let it know you are pleased!
Getting it Wrong
When the puppy goes to the toilet in the wrong place, a firm “NO!” is all that is needed. Dogs aim to please, and they quickly know when their owner is upset (they just don’t know why). That’s why it is important to only praise or discourage the puppy if you catch it in the act. Telling the dog off minutes or hours after it has made a mistake is too late; it will only serve to confuse it more.
Puppy Toilet Training Outdoors
Eventually, all house dogs should learn how to go to the toilet outdoors. Think of paper training puppy as a stepping stone to full toilet training. Having said that, some people think that two transitions are harder for the puppy to learn, so it is the owner’s choice whether housebreaking a new puppy is a one or two-step process.
Crate Training Puppy
Another important part of housebreaking a new puppy is crate training. This helps with puppy toilet training and keeping the puppy out of harm when left home alone.
Wire crates are available at the pet shop and should be no bigger than the dog’s bed. The crate will become the dog’s den; a quiet place it can go to be alone. It will also serve as a safe place to keep it from getting into mischief when left unsupervised.
For the first few weeks of crate training, the puppy should go in the crate whenever there is no-one to look after it. The puppy will probably whine and bark at first so praise it for any time spent in the crate. In time it will feel comfortable in the crate and go there of its own accord.
Crating Puppy: How Long is Too Long?
Understand that puppies kept in a crate for too long will become destructive and unhappy. It will not help housebreak a new puppy and will do nothing for puppy toilet training as a dog under 12 weeks can’t hold its bladder.
While crate training, ensure puppy gets plenty of play time and several hours a day outside of the crate. Even better, only use the crate at night and while running short errands during the daytime. People who keep their puppy crated for more than 16 hours a day should question why they have a dog in the first place.
Further Reading
If you found Housebreaking a New Puppy interesting, you may also like:
Bringing Home a New Puppy or Dog
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