One of the most difficult (and embarrassing) parts of owning a puppy is that your house can begin to stink! Untrained pups can cause odoriferous damage as well as irritation and frustration. Creating good habits for your puppy at an early age helps him learn quickly and makes him ready so you can housebreak your dog. Your commitment and consistency work to reinforce your pup’s training routine, and the reward will be a happy housebroken dog and a very satisfied owner!
Many people want to get their dogs housebroken. In fact, if you want to train your pup in as little as 7 days, we’ve got 7 tips for you that will help you do it!
Location
Choosing a location for your pup to associate with doing his “business” allows him to learn that he has a specific place where he is supposed to relieve himself. If you can simply let your pup go out into the backyard, this is ideal. If this isn’t an option, you can choose to keep a small litterbox, or even a patch of fake grass for him to go on. Small spaces might be a bit more challenging, but still possible. No matter what you choose, consistency in the space where your dog goes potty acts as an important factor.
Frequency
Puppies have very small bladders and need to go very often. As dogs get older they can hold it longer, but small pups need to urinate and defecate very, very often. Get your puppy to his potty spot right away before he needs to go. In order to do this, take your dog to the potty spot every 30 minutes when you are first beginning to train him. Also, take him within just a few minutes after eating. It may take a lot of patience because puppies have a tendency to be distracted. If your pup doesn’t go after 10 minutes of trying, take him back inside. Be sure to keep him confined and then try again after 15 minutes.
Word Association
Assign a certain term to the activity for your dog to do his business. Use something like “go potty”, or “go to the bathroom”. Say this phrase every time you take your pup to the potty spot. Repeat this phrase each time so that he begins to associate it with the activity of being housebroken.
Positive Reinforcement
Praise your pup every time he goes in the right place! Puppies love positive reinforcement, but they need it in a calm way. If you get too excited, you might distract your dog from doing his business. Continue the habit of praising your puppy for a long time when he goes in the right spot and he’ll enjoy this habit for years to come!
Correction
When trying to housebreak your dog, remember that puppies live very much in the present. Proper correcting of a dog has to happen in the moment, rather than after the fact. Although some people believe that bringing a dog back to the place where they made their mess is effective, it’s really not. If your pup has an accident, just clean it up and move on. Use a cleaner that is designed to remove urine odor, or try white vinegar. This keeps your dog from coming back to that spot and re-claiming it.
Schedule
Keep your dog on a routine to housebreak him as quickly as possible. Dogs do well when they know what to expect. They need to be told when it’s time to eat, go for a walk, or go potty. Continue to stick to the routine even as they continue to extend the amount of time they can “hold it”. Keeping your dog on a schedule by feeding him at the same time every day also helps as dogs typically poop just after eating. Another schedule help is to take the water bowl away from your pup after dinner time. This keeps him from needing to urinate as much in the night.
Pay Attention
A critical point in while you try to housebreak your dog in 7 days is keeping your puppy very close to you at all times. Paying attention prevents your dog from having an accident. Watch him constantly, keep him contained when necessary, and don’t allow him to get too excited. Although it might seem tedious, this effort of paying careful attention to your dog will pay off!
A small puppy will likely take a bit longer than a week to housetrain, particularly it it’s a small breed dog. But applying these principles helps your pup to have as few accidents as possible. Create a routine, stay consistent, offer praise, and pay careful attention so that you can housebreak your dog in as short a time as possible. And soon you’ll find that your house doesn’t stink anymore!
