Tips for Housebreaking Your New Puppy

Housebreaking is any easy behavior to teach a young puppy and even an older dog. Here are some training tips.

Housebreaking Your Puppy Tip #1

Start your puppy on a regular feeding schedule, feeding him twice a day at scheduled times. (Some veterinarians recommend three times a day for very young puppies.) Leave the feeding bowl out for 15-30 minutes only. Pick up the bowl after 30 minutes whether or not your puppy has eaten the entire contents of the bowl. Your puppy will quickly learn that this is his time to eat and the food will not be available for him all day long to graze.

Housebreaking Your Puppy Tip #2

Remove the water bowl at night about 2 hours before bedtime. Your puppy will have an easier time without accidents during the night.

Housebreaking Your Puppy Tip #3

Take your puppy outside when your puppy first gets up in the morning, after meals and other frequent times during the day. Young puppies will need to be taken out every two hours. Increase this time gradually as your puppy grows, to two and a half hours, then to three hours and so forth.

Housebreaking Your Puppy Tip #4

Don’t just let your puppy out by himself. Go outside with your puppy and encourage him. When your puppy does relieve himself, make sure you praise him generously and give him a little treat. Your puppy needs to know that his behavior was correct.

Housebreaking Your Puppy Tip #5

When your puppy is loose in the house with you, you must watch him. Do not let your puppy run around the house, from room to room, out of your sight. If necessary, put your puppy on a leash and attach the leash to your belt loops or around your wrist, and everywhere you go, your puppy must come with you.

Housebreaking Your Puppy Tip #6

Confine puppy to crate if you cannot watch him and also during the night. The crate should be large enough for your puppy to be confortable, but should not large enough your puppy can relieve himself on one side of the crate and sleep on other side.

Housebreaking Your Puppy Tip #7

In the house, If you catch your puppy in the act of relieving himself, tell him “NO!” and quickly pick him up and take him outside immediately. If your puppy does not relieve himself, bring him back inside and put him in his crate for about 15 minutes. Then take him outside again.

Housebreaking Your Puppy Tip #8

Inside the house, if you are not watching puppy closely, as recommended, and you find that your puppy has had an accident, and you find it after the fact, you should not correct or admonish him. This only leads to confusion for your puppy. You, as the owner, should be the one admonished because you were not watching your puppy closely enough, allowing it to happen.

Using these recommended housebreaking tips, your puppy should be housebroken in no longer than three weeks.

See other dog training articles by Sunshine:

How to Stop Your Dog from Jumping Up on You

How to Train Your Dog to Listen to You

Training the Submissive Dog

How to Teach Your Dog to Come when Called