I recently got a new puppy and I am trying to housetrain him. What is the best way?

Answer 1

Routine is the most important aspect of training. From the beginning, feed 4 times per day, at the same times, and put the bowl up in 5 minutes, or when finished.

A puppy will need to go just minutes after eating, so whisk him outside, and stay with him until he 'goes'..Give him lots of praise when he does his job, play a few minutes, and come back in..

If you can spread down a bag of sand, from a garden center, it will give him a good place to go, so you can kind of aim him there, and not just all over your yard..

He should only need to go poop after eating, and perhaps at bedtime..

However, he will need water down at all times, and need to pee frequently..so, outside every other hour for that..and keep a close eye on him..He will need to go during active play, and every time he wakes from a nap..If you watch him, you will see him acting restless, and sniffing the floor, etc when he needs to go..at first, peeing may be just a matter of pausing, and uh-oh, there it is..He won't even be aware...So its important to never scold him for peeing...this is what makes traumatized pups that refuse to pee outside, or try to hide it in the house..as they get scolded for it, and it becomes a traumatic event..
Keep the product, Nature's Miracle, on hand, for instant cleaning of pee spots...or ask your pet supply which enzyme cleaner they recommend..

Puppies physiology only allows them to hold pee for about 1 hour per month of age...so expecting any more is unrealistic..a good reason for a playpen at night..If you don't yet have a crate, then you may need a crate or playpen.. He may hold it through the night, but is likely to need to pee at least once during the night..You can remove the water a couple of hours before bedtime..

By following a routine, and being ever watchful for the first few days, you can have him petty well trained in just a couple of weeks..or less

I house-train all of my pups before they ever leave my home, and I do it an entire litter at a time..it normally takes about 4-5 days, with very few accidents..
But, if you hang a little bell on the door, or a desk bell on the floor, and show him you are ringing the bell each time you take him out, he is likely to begin ringing the bell when he needs to go..Just be very vigilant, and yet stay relaxed..an accident doesn't mean failure..
Remember, it takes forever to potty train a human baby, and it is so nice that puppies can learn it so much faster, but they are still allowed to be babies, and don't deserve to be stressed about the training...
If you have important areas to keep clean, just keep him away from those areas until he is a bit older..

I recommend using a soft step-in type harness for the walking and leash training, as it is less frightening and stressful..eventually, as trust is developed, you can switch to a collar..but a soft harness takes the fear away from the beginning...Walking stimulates the bowels to move, more so than just putting the dog out..

Answer 2

You must no longer have got a dog, within the first situation, whilst you knew that the owner, does no longer enable pets.Unless, you will have the puppy for clinical causes, or as a remedy puppy, along with your healthcare professional pronouncing that you just have to have a puppy, then, you should not have too many different choices. You say he is housetrained. Where precisely does he move to the toilet, if you're hiding him out of your landlord and can not take him external in which all people can see you will have a dog? How are you able to take him for walks, if you're hiding him out of your landlord? As some distance as barking is worried and relying on how historical the dog is, while he will get a bit older, he's going to begin barking, assured! You obtained your self into a multitude, by way of getting a dog, whilst you knew it used to be no longer allowed. Any cause, that you just provide your landlord, I do not suppose will topic, and while the owner unearths out you will have a dog, you're going to generally ought to provide him up or transfer someplace in which you'll be able to have a puppy!

Answer 3

Crate training is the simplest way to housetrain a puppy. Even brand new owners will have no trouble following these guidelines. When you can't pay attention to your puppy put him in his crate. As soon as you take him out of his crate take him outside and reward him when he does his business. Usually I start with food and move to "hugging, petting, etc" as he gets older. Also remember young puppies usually need to pee more than once when you take them outside. Stay out a few minutes longer just so you know for sure they are finished. I have crate trained puppies for years and have had their houses close to me in the house and also in places such as the laundry room and haven't found any problems with either. It's probably a good idea to put their crate where ever you want them to sleep. Also young puppies will need to go out at least once during the night although that won't last long, thank goodness.

Answer 4

Crate training is the best method. The dog should be crated anytime it is not actively being played with, watched carefully, eating, or outside. A dog won't go to the bathroom where it eats or sleeps so the crate should be no larger than enough room for the dog to stand, turn around, and lay down. It's not cruel, dogs love crates because it makes them feel safe and comfortable. The dog should not have free run of the house without constant supervision. Anytime you see him sniffing around, take him outside. About 15 minutes after eating and drinking, take him outside. When he does his business, tell him Good potty and give him a treat. Unless you catch him in the act of going on the floor, saying anything is pointless. By the time they walk away, they have forgotten all about it and punishing them will only confuse them. NEVER rub their nose in it, that is cruel!!! If you catch him in the act, tell him bad potty and immediately put him outside. This method has worked wonders for my puppy! Good luck!

Answer 5

ive been keeping up with a routine. We paper trained him for the first few days due to him not having all his vaccanations. The vet said it was best for him. Starting today we have began taking him outside every 35 mins or so. Depending on how much hes drank or slept. He likes to sleep alot so evertime he wakes up we immediately go outside and I say "time to go POTTY" We walk around the yard for a few minutes usually 10 is all it takes for him to realize he has to go. If he doesnt go we come back inside and I keep a pretty good eye on him. About 5 mins later I take him back out and say the same thing. He usually goes if he didnt the first time. Its a habit you have to get into ..good luck and we have the potty pads down incase of accidents..it works

Answer 6

Take him out about every three hours. Keep a very close eye on him, and when he starts sniffing around like he is following the scent of something, get him outside!! If you follow this, he will be fairly well trained in about a month. Accidents will still happen, and when they do, get a very good odor eliminator so he can't smell his accidents or he will continue to go in the same spot.

Answer 7

Every time the dog eats or drinks water take him outside and he will learn to associate eating with going to the door.Lastly stock up on puppy pads ,you place one down each night or day when you are unable to take the dog out and move it closer to the door everytime he uses it lastly u remove the puppy pads all together as the dog will go to the door when he needs to use the bathroom.

Answer 8

Crate training is known to be one of the most effective and fastest ways to train a puppy. Just go and look up crate training in yahoo or google search and you'll get many sites with information on it.

Answer 9

stick to regular feeding times and walk it religiously every 2 hours for the first couple of weeks, as it gets older you can walk less often

Answer 10

How long it will take you to house train your dog depends on your dedication to the training process and your puppy's maturity and learning rate.

Things you will need to housetrain your puppy are a properly fitted crate, a collar and leash, some treats, and time and patience.

You also need to pick a spot for your puppy to go potty. Using the same spot each time will help the puppy recognize that this is where he should go, and the smell from going there other times will help him go potty faster when you take him out.

I don't recommend using doggie litter boxes or those puppy pads. If you want your dog to always go potty in the house fine, then use this article to teach them to go there. But don't complain to me when your dog starts going other places in the house. Dogs often times cannot tell the difference between a puppy pad and your expensive rug. All they know is its ok to go potty in the house so any area with a roof is fair game for elimination. Also trying to paper train a dog and then trying to switch the dog to going outside is counterproductive and confusing for the dog. Doing this will only slow the training down. So forget the puppy pads and start teaching your dog to go outside from day one. If you have already been using them throw them out and start all over from the beginning, but keep mind the process may take a little longer the second time around since once your dog has bad habits they are hard to break. Its much easier to prevent them than to correct them later.

When looking for a crate you want one that is big enough for your dog to stand up, turn around and lay down. You don't want it so big that he can lay in one end and use the other end as a bathroom. If he can do this trust me he will. There are all kinds of different styles of crates: the two most common are wire and plastic. But they come in mesh, wicker, all sorts of different materials now. I would recommend choosing either a wire or plastic one, especially for puppies that like to chew. Here are some pros and cons of plastic and wire crates.

Plastic: These come in several sizes so can accommodate nearly every size of dog. They also give a more den like feeling to the dog and have less of a cage look. The disadvantage to these crates is that you may need to buy more than one to accommodate a growing puppy, and they take up more room if you want to store them even though they usually will come apart in halves for storage. There are also some newer plastic crates that will fold up similar to a wire crate.

Wire: Like the plastic crate these also come in a variety of sizes. They do look more like cages though, something that can be fixed by purchasing a cover for it. A cover will also help some dogs feel more secure in a wire crate. The advantage of these is that you can buy a size to fit your dog when it is full grown. Wire crates have dividers available for purchase so that you can make the crate fit your puppy. These also have a storage advantage in that most fold up very neatly and can be stored easily.

Next you will need to introduce your puppy to its crate. Just sticking the puppy in there without a positive introduction can be very stressful for the pup. I like to bring a new puppy home on a day off, and try to pick it up as soon as possible in the morning. This way I have all day to introduce the puppy to the crate so that by bedtime the puppy will feel pretty comfortable with its crate and shouldn't fuss to much.

Start by showing the puppy the crate and let him explore it. Next show your puppy a treat and then toss it inside. When your puppy goes in to get the treat praise him excitedly. Repeat this a few times and then end this session. If your pup won't go all the way in the crate to get the treat try throwing it closer to the door, or even outside the door and then gradually toss it farther back, until the pup goes all the way in.

After an hour or two have another session with crate. If your pup went all the way in the last time start there, if not start at the point you left off. After a couple times of going in the crate and coming right back out you can shut the door. But let the pup out after a second or two. Repeat this gradually increasing the amount of time the pup is in the crate. If you do this several times the first day by the time your ready for bed your pup should be pretty comfortable with the crate. I also like to repeat this process for a day or two after the pup comes home.

Also remember that whenever your dog is crated you need to remove any type of collar, even a buckle collar can catch on a crate and strangle a dog.

Now that you have your crate set up and your pup introduced to it you need to put your puppy on a feeding schedule. Puppies 8 wks to 6 months should be given three meals a day. After six months this can be cut down to 2 meals. Free-feeding (having food available all the time) is not recommended. It can lead to obesity and makes it harder to housetrain your puppy. Another disadvantage to this feeding method is that it will be harder for you tell if your dog is off food which can be a sign of illness. Feeding on a schedule allows you to predict when your puppy will need to go out. If you know when it went in you can predict when it will come out. You will want to divide your dog's full daily amount into three smaller meals. Give him the food and after twenty minutes take away the bowl whether there is food in it or not. Dogs will generally consume all they want in twenty minutes. Take your puppy to his potty spot about 15-20 minutes after he has finished eating. Repeat the go potty command while you are waiting for him to go. When he starts to go tell him good boy go potty, and when he has finished give him a treat and make a big fuss over him.

I'd also like to tell you how to tell if your puppy is getting to much or to little food. The recommendations on dog food bags are just a starting point. Start with that amount and then watch to see if your dog needs more or less. The way to tell is to do a rib check. You shouldn't be able to see the ribs, if you can add more food. You should be able to easily feel the ribs under a thin layer of fat, if you have trouble feeling the ribs, cut back the amount of food.

In addition to having to go out after meals your puppy will also need to go potty after he wakes up from a nap, after playing, and first thing in the morning and before bed. Signs that your puppy needs to go out: are restlessness and circling an area while sniffing. If your puppy does these things it's a safe bet to take him out. Remember though that individual dogs have their own signs of needing to go to the bathroom and you will soon pick up on these signals as well.

When you are out for potty breaks you should stand still, if he wants to play ignore him. You want him to know that it is time to go to the bathroom not time to play. If you allow him to play before he goes to the bathroom he may start to hold out on you to extend his playtime. Once he has gone to the bathroom however you can play all you want. Stay outside with your dog for about 10 minutes to wait for him to go, if he doesn't go in ten minutes just pick him up and carry him back inside matter-of-factly. No treats or playtime on the way in. When you get back into the house he will either need to be crated or watched like a hawk. Try again in ten minutes. Repeat until he goes.

Another mistake a lot of people make when they bring their new puppy home is to allow him free run of the place. This will only hurt your training and will also cause your dog to get into a lot of trouble. Young puppies need to be watched. When your puppy can't be watched he should be in his crate. This way he can't make a mistake or get into trouble.

Accidents:

The only time you can punish your puppy for having an accident in the house is if you catch him in the act. Even then it's less of a punishment and more of a redirection. If you see your puppy going to the bathroom in the house, startle him with a sharp NO and take him outside to finish the job. When he finishes outside, give him a treat and lots of praise. Back inside the house clean up the mess and use an enzymatic cleaner (such as OUT or Nature's Miracle) to remove all traces of the mess so he won't be tempted to use the same spot. Most carpet cleaners will leave traces of the mess that you can't see or smell, but your pet can.

If you find a mess after the fact, well to bad that one is your fault, you should have been watching the puppy. Simply clean it up and try to watch more carefully. If you try to scold your pup after the fact he will have no idea what you are mad about and will be confused and may even become scared of you. NEVER, NEVER rub your dogs nose in urine or feces. It is not only disgusting but it also has no training value what so ever. Hitting your dog with anything including a rolled up newspaper is also unacceptable.

Young puppies may need to use the bathroom during the night, so I advise putting the crate in your bedroom. This way if the puppy sounds restless you can take him to the bathroom. This will also make your puppy feel more secure because he is close to you. If you do need to take your puppy out in the middle of the night make sure you allow him to go to the bathroom only. No playtime for these outings. Still give him a treat and praise, but do so in a quieter manner than you would during the day. This way you won't get him all riled up the middle of night. Remember if you let him get away with playing in the middle of the night he will begin to expect it, and you don't want that. How long night time outings will last depends on the age of your puppy, and how fast his bladder matures.

It also helps to have his last meal of the day at least two hours before bed and take away his water an hour before bed. You don't want to put it in the crate with him, it would be unfair to the puppy to expect him to have a supply of water and then not have to go to the bathroom all night long. The only thing that should be in your dog's crate are a chew toy and maybe a doggie blanket. Although some pups will urinate on absorbant materials that are in their crate, if yours does remove it. Also if you see that your puppy is chewing on his blanket it should be removed. If the puppy ingests part of the blanket it could cause an intestinal blockage. If that happens emergency surgery is needed to remove the blanket from the intestines.

I know this sounds like a lot of work but that is what puppies are. They are also a lot of fun and that should make up for the work part of having a puppy. And just keep in mind that one day soon you will have a beautiful dog who is housetrained and is a joy to have around.

(Note: if you are going to use this article to train a dog that had previously been housetrained and is now having accidents, please contact your vet first. If your dog suddenly "forgets" his housetraining it can be a sign of infection, and that needs to be treated. Once you have confirmed that the dog is healthy with your vet, then refresh your dog with this article)