House Training Your Puppy

Housetraining is probably the most common behavioural problem exhibited by puppies but the puppy cannot be blamed. Like a child needs to be potty trained, a puppy needs to be trained to go to the toilet in the right place, which is preferably not in the house.

A puppy until about the age of 6months has a weak bladder and cannot be expected to “hold on”, therefore a puppy cannot be punished for relieving itself on the lounge room carpet if you have left it loose in the house for a few hours.

You need to be patient while toilet training your puppy as it can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 4 months. This will depend on your consistency and ability to recognise your puppy’s toilet mannerisms.

Obviously we find it unacceptable for the puppy to go to the toilet in the house so we must show the puppy the desirable place for it to go. The puppy generally will not go to the toilet where it eat or sleeps, so when you are deciding where to allow the puppy to eliminate, remember this.

There are a few simple ways that you can train your puppy to eliminate where you want him/her to go.

Crate Training

This method as it states uses a crate. The puppy is confined to the crate for a short period of time. When they begin to get antsy/fidgety (usually after about an hours time), open the crate, carry your puppy outside to the designated area and as your puppy is relieving itself say a word like toilet, then praise your puppy. This will allow you to eventually command the dog to go to the toilet whilst on a walk when there is an appropriate place for it to go. Each time you crate your puppy, try to extend the time your puppy is in there so that its bladder begins to strengthen. This will also happen naturally as the puppy grows. Although the puppy will appear to be running to the back door or holding on longer, there will at times undoubtedly be the odd accident.

Paper Method

This method relies a lot more on you being aware of your puppy’s toilet behaviours and where they are in the house. As you see your puppy beginning to get into the toilet position (sniffing the ground while running around in a circle), got to the puppy, pick it up, say no and then place the puppy on a piece of paper and say toilet. Praise the puppy when it eliminates. Over the next week, move the paper closer and closer to the backdoor until it can be moved outside. Eventually your puppy will go to the back door to let you know that he/she needs to go out. Always keep some paper handy in case your puppy momentarily forgets.

A few things that may help with the toilet training process:

• Feed at set times every day of the week, even weekends, until your puppy is toilet trainer.
• Take your puppy outside regularly and stay with him until he goes, remembering to praise
• Always take your puppy outside after eating, when they wake up, after play or when you see then sniffing in a circular motion.

With patience and understanding, toilet training can be fun and without to many accidents.