There is no area of dog training where more misconceptions prevail, and more mistakes are made, than in housetraining puppies. Perhaps because it is one of the first attempts we make at training, it is in housetraining that the success or failure of the human-animal relationship often lies. The puppy that never learns the rules of the house is the puppy that is forced to spend more and more time ostracized from the house, and this frequently leads to excessive barking, digging, destructiveness and eventually the pound or humane society. Housetraining is not difficult, if you follow this proven four-step method to success.

Step One in successful housetraining is to forget everything you have heard about hitting a puppy with a rolled up newspaper or rubbing a pup’s nose in his mess. Accept the fact that your puppy has to relieve himself fairly frequently and that it is your responsibility to make sure he does so in a proper place. Furthermore, your puppy’s need to eliminate is really not so haphazard as it might seem.

You can anticipate his needs and help him make a success of this whole business by remembering that he will need to go outside immediately after waking from a nap and about half an hour after eating. Remember, too, that exercise and excited play bring on the need to eliminate, and your puppy will have to be encouraged to tear himself away from the fun occasionally to attend to business. Whimpering, concentrated sniffing and restlessness are all signals that tell you your pup needs to go out NOW. Puppies don’t get much warning from their bodies that it’s time to go, so you must move quickly.

It helps to keep a schedule of just when the pup needs to go out, over the course of several days. The pattern is quick to establish itself, and you can begin to predict his needs with surprising accuracy. It is much easier to usher him outside before anything happens than to remove a stain from the carpet. A partial example of such a schedule would be as follows:

Keep feeding times regular and remove all food and water by 6:00PM to allow your puppy time to eliminate before bedtime and hopefully sleep through the night.

Step Two is to confine your pup properly at nap times and when you cannot adequately supervise him. Dogs, like many other animals, will not soil their den or sleeping quarters and we can capitalize on this natural instinct by providing them a den in the form of a crate, airline carrier or something similar. With a few modifications, an adequate crate can be made from a large open-topped cardboard box from the appliance store; just use your imagination. You can confine your pup in a small bathroom with a childproof gate across the door as long as the room is actually small enough to discourage the pup from eliminating in the room. The important points to remember about confinement are:

1. The crate should be large enough to allow your pup room enough to stand up, turn around and sleep comfortably without being so large that he will relieve himself in it.
2. The crate should be designed so that the pup can see out the front and/or sides and not feel imprisoned. If he can only see out the top, he will soon start jumping. This is particularly important if you are using a cardboard box.
3. The crate should be safe for the puppy, having no sharp edges of chewable parts.
4. The crate is NOT a prison. It should be kept somewhere near the hub of the family life so the pup always feels a part of the action. You may put the crate in the kitchen or family room during the day, for instance, then move it into the bedroom with you at night. The pup should never feel that he has been banished when he is crated.
5. Introduced properly, this crate will quickly become a safe haven for your pup; a place where he can have time out and really relax. Leave the crate, with the door open, sitting where the pup can explore it on his own. DO NOT FORCE HIM INTO THE CRATE. Let him see you put a few very tasty treats, or an irresistible toy, in the crate. When your pup goes in, praise him. Do not close the door until your pup is going in and out comfortably. When he is, close the door and open it again immediately. Next time he goes in, leave the door closed a bit longer, and so on. Proceed according to your puppy’s reaction, never allowing him to become frightened. A young pup will catch on in 15 to 20 minutes, where an older pup may take a day or two, but it will not take long. Keep his bed, and a few of his toys, in the crate and he will soon recognize it as his place.
6. How long the pup remains in the crate at any one time is a matter of common sense and kindness. A very young puppy will need to relieve himself frequently. To leave him in a crate for five or six hours at a time is more than his body can take. If he has to relieve himself in the crate, you will have housetraining problems forever more. Also, if he is forced to go too long without eliminating, health problems such as kidney trouble can develop. On the other hand, an older puppy can be crated for longer periods than a younger one. So be sensible about this and refer back to your schedule to determine your puppy’s needs A puppy that needs out to relieve himself will let you know in no uncertain terms. Scratching about in the crate and worried whimpering are signs that should not be ignored. These are very different noises from the bored puppy demand bark or whine. You’ll soon learn to distinguish the two. In the latter case, always make certain that you let the pup out of his crate because it was your decision, not his. Tell him to be quiet and emphasize that, if necessary, with a rap on the top of the crate or a squirt from a water bottle. The pup must be quiet for several seconds before he is let out or HE will be training YOU to do his bidding.

Step Three is to take the puppy outside as soon as he is released from the crate or at other appropriate times as mentioned above, and show him where to relieve himself. Since dogs will happily go in the same place all the time, if it is clean, make your work easier by encouraging the pup to use an area which is convenient for you. You can instruct the puppy to eliminate by telling him to “hurry up”, “better go now”, “do your business” or whatever you choose to say. This will eventually teach him to relieve himself on command. Stay with the puppy, if you walk away he will probably follow and you will want to remain in the chosen spot until he relieves himself. It may help to have the pup on leash to concentrate on his efforts.

Step Four, and this is the most important, is to PRAISE YOUR PUPPY PROFUSELY when he relieves himself in the proper place. Forget the neighbors and just remember that you have the smartest, most wonderful puppy in the world.

USING PAPERS TO HOUSETRAINING YOUR PUP

We strongly recommend crate training as the easiest and most reliable method of housetraining because it never teaches the pup that it is okay to relieve himself in the house. However, if you are not home enough during the day to make this method practical, the alternative is paper training.

Confine your puppy to one particular room in the house, preferably one with easily washable floors. Cover the entire floor area with newspapers. Ensure that the pup’s sleeping and eating quarters are together at one end of the room, since he will get as far away from that spot to eliminate. At those times when you can be in attendance, PRAISE the puppy for eliminating on the papers. When the pup gets used to using the papers, you can gradually reduce the area covered until you are down to a single sheet-size pile.

Start orienting your pup to go outside by easing the pile closer and closer to the door, and eventually place it just outside, perhaps with a corner showing on the inside of the door as a hint to the pup. He will normally paw at this scrap of paper which is a good signal to you that it’s that time again. As with crate training, you must then go out with your pup to an area of lawn or ground cover, etc, and again PRAISE your pup when he eliminates in the appropriate place. It may be helpful to take the paper out with you to help your puppy understand what is expected of him.

If you live in a high-rise apartment, or similar situation, where the dog will not have easy access to the outdoors, paper training is the best method for housetraining since a pile of papers can always be provided in a suitable place in the house. If this is the method you use, remember that when the paper is replaced, you should not replace the whole pile but leave one on top which has the scent to let your pup know that this is the right spot. A couple of drops of ammonia can also be very attractive.

COPING WITH ACCIDENTS

Expect mistakes and try to take them in stride. Remember that a puppy does not have full control over his muscles until he is at least four months old. If you catch your pup leaving a mess in the house, raise your voice to surprise his muscles into constricting, and say "OUT, ROVER OUT." This tells him what he should be doing, as well as stopping what he is doing. Take him outside (pick him up if need be) and take him to the appropriate place. It can also help to put the pup on leash and to take the "evidence" with you via paper towel. When he relieves himself in the appropriate place, PRAISE HIM.

If you discover a mess at a later time, ignore it until the pup is out of the room, then clean it up. Do not scold as this will have little effect, and do not let him see you clean up after him. This is particularly important if you paper train your pup in the early stages and consequently lead him to believe that it was perfectly acceptable to eliminate indoors. When cleaning up, the important point is to neutralize the odor to discourage the pup from returning to the same spot.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE

How long the housetraining process takes varies with every puppy and every owner. Extenuating circumstances such as the whelping box being covered in carpet or pet store pups being allowed to soil their cage, can confuse the issue. There may be physical problems, too, which can make housetraining not just a difficult but downright impossible. Worms can cause diarrhea. Sudden changes in diet can cause stools to be loose. Bladder infections can cause frequent urination. If in doubt, always consult your veterinarian. But if physical problems aren’t the reason things are going bad, YOU probably are. Review your training methods and look for inconsistencies from the puppy’s point of view. Somewhere along the line, the wires are crossed and the message you’re trying to convey is being garbled.

Above all, BE PATIENT AND CONSISTENT and, even when you think housetraining is complete, keep up your vigilance for at least another two to three weeks to be sure. Also, don’t be surprised at the occasional transgression. Remember you’re dealing with a young animal whose muscle control and attention span are not very well developed. A great deal of excitement, a sudden fright, visitors, or the change in routine, or just the fact that you were on the phone and not listening for a little whimper at the back door could all lead to that puddle on the floor. Whatever happens, don’t give up now! Housetraining is one of the first and most important steps in turning your puppy into a companion you can enjoy for a very long time.