House Training Your New Puppy
by Julie Bond, M.S., Animal Behaviorist

 

Probably the single most misunderstood concept in the world of dog ownership is house training. You'll notice I didn't use the phrase, "house breaking." Why? Because it implies a negative experience for the young dog. Well-meaning owners will often punish their pup by dragging him to the soiled area, scold him for the dirty deed, rub his nose in the accident, swat him firmly on the bottom, and send the pup on his way. What has that puppy learned? He's learned that coming when called often results in punishment for something he doesn't remember doing. Young dogs have approximately a 5-second attention span; if you don't catch them in the act of committing an error of any kind, then there is no sense in punishing them. Second, you never want your dog to associate coming to you with punishment. Your dog will resist coming to you for fear of being manhandled and having his face rubbed in excrement. Rubbing a dog's sensitive nose in excrement only serves to convince your dog that you are a person to be avoided at all costs! So, then, how do you quickly and reliably house train a puppy?

First, and most importantly, you must change your perspective on what you are trying to accomplish. As when you potty train a child, house training your dog should involve lots of praise and reinforcement for doing the right thing. Devote your energy to teaching your puppy to eliminate in the designated outdoor area rather than trying to catch him in the act of committing an error on the living room rug. Elimination is a behavior just like sitting, fetching, or heeling. Just as you wouldn't dream of punishing your dog for failing to bring his ball, don't punish him for failing to eliminate appropriately. Your ultimate goal should be to create as many situations as possible that allow you to positively reinforce correct elimination.

Dogs, as descendants of wolves, have a natural aversion to eliminating where they sleep. Your job is to teach your young dog that your entire house is their sleeping area or den. Obviously, this will take time and patience, so you must begin by providing your dog with a smaller den. An airline crate is a safe, humane den for any dog if used properly. Restrict your dog to his den any time you can't watch him. Take your pup on leash from his crate to the area outside where you want him to eliminate. Remember that puppies have a tendency to eliminate whenever they wake up, after meals, after play, or even when startled. Remain quiet while your puppy sniffs around the elimination area. You don't want this to turn into a game, so do nothing else in the elimination area but wait for your dog to perform. Don't interrupt your puppy with lots of encouragement, but rather wait until he is done, verbally praise him, and give him a tasty food treat. Try to develop your own "potty ritual." Always put the dog on leash, go out the same door, use the same elimination area, etc. Once your dog starts to get the idea, you can begin speeding up the process by saying, "Go Potty" as he is eliminating, then reward him upon completion. Eventually, you will be able to say, "Go Potty" and your dog will perform the behavior, just as he would if you had asked him to sit or fetch.

To increase the chances of your pup being able to successfully hold its bladder and rectum while you are away for extended periods of time during the day (for example, while you are at work), refrain from leaving food and water down when you are not there. What goes in, must come out! You can control when this happens by giving your dog access to food and water at designated mealtimes. Just as we don't drink water constantly all day long, your dog too needs to be provided with fresh water with meals, following exercise, waking up, etc. Dogs who spend their day sleeping in their dens don't need water like the dogs left alone in a yard all day. Regular feeding times translates into regular elimination times. Keep in mind that puppies up to 12 weeks of age should be fed 3-4 small meals per day, while 2-3 meals is sufficient for those in the 3-6 months age range. Moderately active adult dogs are usually fine with 1-2 meals a day. Right after a meal is a good time to take your pup out for a "potty break."

Although it is difficult, you must remember that young dogs have developing bodily systems. Any puppy less than 3 months of age will wake up in the middle of the night and have to relieve itself. If your pup is in a crate near your bed, you will hear him wake up, and you can take him to the appropriate elimination area. It may be inconvenient to get up in the middle of the night to do this, but the benefits of early house training far outweigh the annoyance of getting up to take your puppy out. If you allow your puppy to eliminate in his den because he simply can't hold it any longer, you will only prolong house training and risk more accidents occurring in the house. Finally, if an accident does occur, don't get mad! Remove your puppy from the area while you thoroughly clean it and move on. You don't want to punish accidents or you will have a dog afraid to eliminate in your presence. Lastly, let your puppy grow up! As he matures, he will be better able to control his bowels and giving him an all-access pass to your house will be his reward for a job well done!