Proven Tips for House Breaking your Dog 

Dog Training

Immediately upon bringing your new puppy home, you need to get started with housebreaking.  In some cases, the process is quick and simple and in other cases, more difficult and drawn out.  However, knowing the right methods for house breaking your dog will help you accomplish your goal without too much irritation.  You will discover by the information provided in this article that some methods work exceptionally well.

Just remind yourself that owning a puppy comes with a lot of responsibility, not just for you, but for other members of the family as well, especially in the first few weeks or months.  When it comes to house breaking a dog, you are not in a race so you will need to be patient, set up schedules, and use the right techniques.  With this, you can establish good habits while reducing the possibility of mistakes.

• Always accompany your puppy when he goes outside to potty.  Typically, you will see puppies heading outdoors, believing it is playtime.  However, with you by his side, you can redirect his attention to the task, making sure he does his business and does not play.  By establishing a pattern of you being with him during potty breaks opposed to him playing outside without you, he will quickly catch on.

 

• Positive reinforcement will go much further when it comes to house breaking your dog than negative discipline will.  Offering him lots of praise is the best option, followed by special treats or playtime with a favorite toy.  For instance, once your puppy has done his business outside, offer him verbal praise and petting.  Soon, he will make a connection between the two.  If your dog tends to be a little slow or stubborn when it comes to potty training, you could also offer him a healthy, small treat after going to the bathroom.

• Use a keyword or phrase associated with going potty.  For instance, when you want your dog to go outside, you could say something like, “Let’s go potty”, or “Potty time”, which will eventually become his trigger word for him to head outside.

• Use a crate for potty training, which works amazingly well.  Dogs like a clean home and in most cases, will not go to the bathroom inside the crate.  Choose a crate that offers enough room for the dog to sleep and stand but not too much room in that you also want him to feel safe and secure.  During the housebreaking phase, have your dog sleep in the kennel so he can learn to hold his bladder.  Then, if he does have an accident, do not punish him, just continue with the potty training techniques and use positive reinforcement.

• Remember that most puppies will need to go potty every two to four hours so provide him with the opportunity during this time, even if he is not showing signs of needing to go.  A great option is to open the door, simply allowing him outside into the fenced yard.

• Set up a feeding and watering schedule for your puppy.  Usually, a dog will need to go to the bathroom within 30 minutes to one hour after eating.  Therefore, if you were to feed your dog on a regular schedule every night at 6:00, then around 6:30, start paying attention to his interest in going to the bathroom or go ahead and take him outside while giving him ample time to do his business.

Remember, regardless of how patient, diligent, and attentive you are to your dog, accidents will happen.  Simply clean up the mess, using a good bacterial cleaner and odor neutralizer, followed by taking him outside and using your keywords.  Again, it will take a little time for all of this to connect.  After all, he is a baby and needs time to understand.  With ongoing training, the right attitude, and proper techniques for house breaking your dog, you will ultimately, be successful.