Ten Tips for House Training a Puppy

1. I strongly recommend that you get a dog crate which is the right size for your puppy. It should be just big enough so he can turn around in it and lie down. This will become his den and the instinct of a dog is not to soil his den. So, you can use this instinctive behaviour to make the house training process a bit easier.

2. You need to introduce your puppy to the crate and build a positive association with it. This you can do by using small tasty treats as a positive reinforcement. Give him treats near the crate and gradually lure him into the crate with them. Once he is used to going inside, shut the door very briefly and then gradually shut it for an increasing time. If you give him a food dispensing toy while he is in the crate, he will be quite happy for a time.

3. Once your puppy is used to the crate, you should leave him in it whenever you cannot pay full attention to him. This will prevent any danger of him peeing or pooing in the house. When you take him out of the crate, you should take him outside in case he needs to relieve himself. A rule of thumb is that you leave your puppy in the crate about an hour for every month he is old.

4. When you bring a puppy home and need to house train him, you should understand that it requires close attention and is a full-time job for a few days. Try to arrange it for a weekend or whenever you can be at home for at least a couple of days.

5. There are times when you should, as a matter of course, take your puppy outside since he is likely to need taking out at these times: when he wakes up, before he goes to bed, whenever he gets excited, after a play session, after a training session, after he eats, after he drinks and after he has a nap. Until he is three months old, he may need also to be taken out once during the night.

6. When you take him outside to do his business, keep him on a leash and don’t encourage him to play. Just watch and wait.

7. Whenever he pees or poos outside, you should give him lots of praise and attention.

8. If he does have an accident in the house, make sure you clean it up with hot biological washing powder solution or an enzymatic cleaner. Normal cleaners will not get rid of the smell to the puppy’s nose and he will be attracted to the spot again.

9. Dogs are creatures of habit, so make sure you follow a regular routine with your puppy.

10. When you see him get into position to do his business, give him a “command” such as “Get Busy”, so that the command becomes associated with doing his business. When you have done this for a week, you can take him outside and give the command to see if he responds. If he does, give him lots of praise or a treat. If he doesn’t respond, continue the association process for another week before you try again.

I hope you find these points helpful in house training your puppy.