Housebreaking
Young puppies do not have control over their bladder until about 12 weeks of age and then they can only hold their bladder for a short period of time; about one hour for each month of age.
The easiest way I have found to do housebreak training is to limit the areas your puppy is allowed to roam freely in the house and take your puppy outside frequently. Key times to take your puppy outside are when it first wakes up, after meals, after drinking, and play activities. Puppies will almost always go potty at these times. Other indicators are when they start sniffing frantically or turning in circles, this is your cue to get your puppy outside fast! When you are outside tell your puppy “potty outside” or whatever word you decide to use, do not play with the puppy, so it knows this is business. I always use the same word and the same door to go out so the puppy will start to associate that with going outside to relieve itself. Give it plenty of time to sniff around and find a spot. When your puppy has successfully gone potty outside PRAISE HIM! I always go out with my puppy no matter what the weather or what I am doing. If you just plop the puppy outside and go back in the house you will have no idea if it went potty and the opportunity for praise is gone. Praise as soon as they go potty is going to reinforce the behavior. BE CONSISTENT! This will pay off in the end. If you are inconsistent, your puppy’s potty habits will be inconsistent.
If you want your puppy to always go in the same area make sure you only take it to that place for potty. If you set a routine and stick with it you will have an easier time training your puppy and in no time it will be housebroken.
Never punish your puppy for going potty in the house by rubbing its nose in it or hitting it. Punishing or reprimanding a dog after the fact is useless because they do not associate what they did five minutes ago with you yelling at them now. They will think you are angry about what they are doing right at that minute. Remember dogs do not think like people! If you happen to catch your puppy in the act just scoop them up and immediately take it outside, even if it is all done, and follow your normal housebreaking routine. If you are patient and consistent your puppy will catch on that the only place to go potty is outside. After a while puppy will start going to that door to let you know it needs out.
The easiest way I have found to do housebreak training is to limit the areas your puppy is allowed to roam freely in the house and take your puppy outside frequently. Key times to take your puppy outside are when it first wakes up, after meals, after drinking, and play activities. Puppies will almost always go potty at these times. Other indicators are when they start sniffing frantically or turning in circles, this is your cue to get your puppy outside fast! When you are outside tell your puppy “potty outside” or whatever word you decide to use, do not play with the puppy, so it knows this is business. I always use the same word and the same door to go out so the puppy will start to associate that with going outside to relieve itself. Give it plenty of time to sniff around and find a spot. When your puppy has successfully gone potty outside PRAISE HIM! I always go out with my puppy no matter what the weather or what I am doing. If you just plop the puppy outside and go back in the house you will have no idea if it went potty and the opportunity for praise is gone. Praise as soon as they go potty is going to reinforce the behavior. BE CONSISTENT! This will pay off in the end. If you are inconsistent, your puppy’s potty habits will be inconsistent.
If you want your puppy to always go in the same area make sure you only take it to that place for potty. If you set a routine and stick with it you will have an easier time training your puppy and in no time it will be housebroken.
Never punish your puppy for going potty in the house by rubbing its nose in it or hitting it. Punishing or reprimanding a dog after the fact is useless because they do not associate what they did five minutes ago with you yelling at them now. They will think you are angry about what they are doing right at that minute. Remember dogs do not think like people! If you happen to catch your puppy in the act just scoop them up and immediately take it outside, even if it is all done, and follow your normal housebreaking routine. If you are patient and consistent your puppy will catch on that the only place to go potty is outside. After a while puppy will start going to that door to let you know it needs out.
