whats the best way to house train a puppy?
Friday, October 28th, 2011 at
7:00 pm
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This is my method. Have been doing it through sever dogs life time. The first thing to remember about house training a puppy is there ability to hold themselves is limited. A rule of thumb is they can hold "it" usually 1 hour for each month of age. 2 months old = 2 hours, 3 months old = 3 hours, etc. When your puppy wakes up (morning, nap, whatever) the pup has to go, right then! Take the pup out. When the pup eats or drinks, it has to go, take the pup out. After exercise (play), take the pup out. When the pup does it’s thing outside praise it. A lot. Tell the pup how good, how smart it is. You have to pay attention to the pups "looking for it’s spot" behavior. When you see that behavior indoors, whisk the pup out. If you catch the pup in the act, simply tell it "NO!" and whisk it outside. If you find a puddle or pile after the fact, clean it up with an enzyme cleaner (pet food store) get a newspaper and hit…. yourself in the head and say "I should have been paying more attention." Daytime training they get pretty fast. Night time training is easier if you crate train the pup. Also remember the one hour/one month rule. You will have to get up through the night to take the pup out. Good luck
Consistency is key! If you don’t plan to allow the dog upstairs, then I wouldn’t keep the crate upstairs initially. Just be ready to wake up in the middle of the night/early in the morning to let a crying puppy out of the crate!
1. Pay attention to it’s ‘potty’ schedule.
2. CONSISTENCY!!!!!
3. Praise!
4. Use words!
He’s still very young, you can’t expect to have no accidents, you will. Smaller and younger puppies have smaller bladders, therefore they will need to go out more often than an adult dog would, so watch for signs such as sniffing, digging, squatting, circling, etc. Once you get to know your puppy a little more, you’ll know what to watch for.
It will be harder since you have the crate upstairs, it won’t be impossible, but a little more difficult since in the morning I’m positive your puppy will have to go, and going down the stairs will give him a chance to go on the floor, so since the crate’s upstairs, carry him downstairs and put him on the grass.
Give tons of praise when he goes. Sometimes people will say their puppy won’t go outside, but once they come back inside they potty on the floor right away. That’s why it’s important to give your puppy about 10 minutes, if he doesn’t go, bring him back in and put him in his crate for five minutes, then give him another chance to go outside.
Since I already said there WILL be an accident or two, do not rub his nose in it, spank him, yell, etc. Simply pick him up in the act and take him outside and give him a chance to finish.
House training is not easy, it requires patience and consistency. If you have puppy pads, throw them. Puppy pads only teach the puppy that it’s okay to go inside.
Good luck and enjoy your new puppy.
The dog won’t learn housebreaking in the crate. Crates are for when you can’t watch it. I am giving a link to my old answer rather than repeat it, http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110321204022AAOaU3P