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Housebreaking
Beginning Housebreaking
Now that you have obtained a
puppy, you have a very important job ahead of you. Housebreaking is a
challenging but rewarding experience when done successfully. The following
information will help you to understand the habits of your puppy, and assist you
in teaching him where to urinate and defecate. A routine, constant supervision
when you are at home, and confinement when you are not, will have most dogs
housebroken within 12 weeks.
A puppy that is new to your
home will need time to adjust. This can take up to three months, depending on
the puppy’s age and level of confidence. Each puppy is an individual and will
respond differently to having new caretakers, living in a new environment
(indoors and out), and getting used to a new routine. Changes in diet and
exercise, anxiety, and excitability are all factors that will affect your
puppy’s behavior.
Taking Your Puppy Potty
At first, only take your
puppy outdoors when it is potty time. If you have to wait for an elevator or
walk a long way, carry the puppy or walk quickly, giving no time for the puppy
to stop. Go directly to the spot you have chosen for his potty place, use the
verbal command you have chosen, and repeat it over and over until you have
success. Do not let the puppy leave the area you have chosen for his potty
place. Upon success, immediately reward your puppy with plenty of praise and a
little treat. Give the puppy only about ten minutes to get the job done. Once
he does his business, you can then go for a walk or have a little playtime. If
the puppy does not go, or does not completely empty out, return him to his
crate, and try taking him out again in about a half an hour.
Whenever a puppy eats or
drinks, he sets in motion a digestive sequence that often ends up with
elimination. Shortly after finishing his meal, the puppy will have to go to the
bathroom. This can be anywhere within a 30-minute period. So, when he’s done
eating, don’t let him roam all over the house and don’t let him out of your
sight. Watch for signs that the puppy has to relieve himself. Intense
sniffing, pacing back and forth, and/or circling are signs that he “has to go.”
If you feed your puppy at
the same time each day, you will be able to see a clear pattern of behavior
develop. The number of meals per day that you feed the puppy will figure into
the total number of times you can expect to have to take him out on a toilet
mission. Feeding a highly digestible, premium formula food greatly assists in
getting and keeping the puppy on a schedule. Young and/or small puppies need to
be fed more often than older/larger puppies.
Suggested
Feeding Schedule:
Very young or small puppies – 4 times a
day
Puppies 3 to 6 months – 3 times a day
Puppies 7 months to adult – 2 times a
day
Puppies usually need to
urinate after waking from a nap or an overnight sleep. Once again, supervision
is the key. If you don’t see the puppy wake up, you may miss seeing him relieve
himself. Always be in a position to be able to hurry the puppy
outdoors. Vigorous play can stimulate a puppy to urinate as well. A puppy may
have trouble controlling the urge. He may squat suddenly, urinate and then
resume play. Watch carefully, often sniffing the ground or floor as he circles
will be the only sign. Generally speaking, a puppy has the capability of
holding one hour for every month of age.
Some dogs use urine and
feces to mark territorial boundaries. Even a young puppy may feel compelled to
establish and protect his territory. This type of soiling (not related to
normal elimination) can happen during the night if you sleep in separate
quarters from the dog, or when you leave the dog alone in the house. Dogs are
quite social. Many puppies become stressed and anxious when separated from
their family. Un-neutered males often lift their leg indoors, not because they
have to go, but rather as a way of posting a “No Trespassing” sign. BE SURE TO
GET A MALE PUPPY NEUTERED BEFORE HE REACHES SEXUAL MATURITY. We recommend
neutering be done by 6 months of age. Waiting to neuter until one or more years
of age may not correct what has become a habit in marking territory. There are
health benefits to neutering as well.
“Caught You in the Act!”
If you catch
your puppy in the act, a deep firm “NO” is all that is needed to communicate
your displeasure. If you succeeded in interrupting the act, get the puppy
outdoors quickly and clean up when you get back. Hitting the puppy or rubbing
his face in his waste is not necessary. Intimidation tactics work against
relationships based on mutual trust and respect. Puppies love praise and want
to please their masters. Supervision and consistency are essential. The puppy
is always learning, even when you are not actively teaching. A puppy that is
improperly supervised (you find more accidents than you see happen) may become
confused as to whether or not he may eliminate indoors. Sometimes he gets
yelled at and sometimes he doesn’t. A puppy that is carefully monitored
understands very quickly what he may and may not do and usually becomes reliable
much more quickly.
If you missed the event,
when the puppy is very young, all you can do is clean it up and vow to be more
diligent in watching. Correction is useless because the puppy does not remember
doing it. Once the puppy is older, recognizes his smell, and remembers the
command you use for elimination, you can take him to the accident and firmly
scold him and reinforce verbally that he “goes potty outside.” When you cannot
supervise the puppy, he should be crated or confined to a small, dog-proofed
area.
Clean Up!
Clean up all accidents with a commercial odor
neutralizer. This type of product, which is available in pet stores and
catalogs, breaks down the organic matter that causes the odor. Normal
household cleaners will not neutralize the odor. If there is any residual
odor left after cleaning, chances are good that the puppy will return to the
spot again. Be sure to use the product correctly, or it will not work.
Paper Training/Litterboxes
If you are thinking about paper
training, consider what the end result is that you want for your puppy.
Teaching a dog to eliminate indoors can cause confusion when he is away from
home. Unless the dog is carefully trained to respond to a specific set of cues,
he may have indoor accidents where you are visiting! Un-neutered males are
particularly difficult to paper train because they want to lift their leg and
leave their scent in many different places. Unneutered males must be trained to
use only one indoor scent post. Some people are now experimenting with litter
boxes. Again, it may work very well at home, but if you want your puppy to
travel with you, you may have problems when away from home.
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