House Training Puppies| The Basics
Bringing home a new puppy is usually one of the happiest, most exciting things that people do. However, most people quickly learn that puppies don’t train themselves. Young puppies need training. House training puppies takes some work on your part. A young puppy will look to you to teach him what he needs to know, where he needs to go and to be patient with him while he learns.
Fortunately, house training puppies can generally be accomplished in just a few weeks. You may have to clean up a few accidents, especially in the beginning. And you may feel at times that your puppy is not learning the basics of house training. But, if you are persistent then your puppy will be house trained in just a short time.
Getting Started
First of all, when you bring your puppy home keep in mind that he is likely to be very young. He doesn’t know very much. Up to this point his mother has spent the first few weeks cleaning up after him. After that the breeder cleaned up after him. Your puppy wasn’t capable of learning a lesson like house training just yet. Your puppy needs to be a few weeks old before he can really understand the concept involved in house training. He may know that he shouldn’t relieve himself where he sleeps, but now it’s time to learn more.
Making A Schedule
You’ll need to make things easier for your puppy by putting him on a good schedule. Most young puppies need to eat three or four meals per day. Make sure that you take your puppy outside to relieve himself as soon as he finishes eating. This is one time that nearly all puppies need to potty. Feed your puppy at the same times each day to help him become accustomed to eating and going outside at the same times. This can help him regulate his need to relieve himself. He’ll know what to expect.
Of course, you should keep water available for your puppy at all times so this will present a little more of a problem. Your puppy may need to potty after he takes a drink. Be sure to monitor his water intake. If you notice your puppy taking a nice long drink then you should plan to take him outside to relieve himself.
Your puppy will also need to go outside to potty when he wakes up first thing in the morning and when he wakes up after naps. Don’t waste any time waiting for him to let you know he needs to go outside. You should simply assume that he needs to go outside and take him out. It helps if you have your puppy on a schedule so that he wakes up at the same time each morning. If you have to get up to go to work then go ahead and wake your puppy up to walk him. This kind of regular schedule will help prevent your puppy from having more accidents than necessary.
You should also plan to take your puppy outside to potty after he has a wild play session. Lots of play and activity or any kind of exercise will often cause your puppy to need to relieve himself.
So, to reiterate, take your puppy outside to potty:
- When he wakes up in the morning
- When he wakes up from a nap
- After he eats
- After he drinks
- After he plays
Other Times
You should also take your puppy outside to relieve himself before he goes to sleep at night. Do this just before you go to bed. This will help encourage your puppy to make it through the night without having an accident. If your puppy is very young he may not be able to go all night without needing to potty. His bladder is very small at this point. As he gets older he will be able to make it through the night.
You can help your puppy make it through the night by feeding him his evening meal no later than 8 pm. The meal should be fed reasonably early so your puppy will have a chance to relieve himself before going to sleep. You should also remove his water before he settles down for a night so he won’t fill up on water just before going to sleep.
Watch For Signs
One of the most important keys to helping your puppy learn his house training basics is your own vigilance. As your puppy gets used to going outside to relieve himself, it will be up to you to watch him when he’s in the house and look for signs that he may need to go outside. Your puppy will start to give you signals that he needs to go out:
He may:
- Wander by the door
- Glance at you
- Paw at the door
- Look for a private place to relieve himself (behind furniture)
- Sniff the floor
- Go back to a place where he’s previously had an accident
If you notice your puppy doing any of these things then you should immediately scoop him up and take him outside. When he potties outside you should praise him and reward him.
Accidents Happen
If your puppy does have an accident in the house remember that it’s not the end of the world. Your puppy is in the process of learning and this is just one step. Resolve that you will watch him more closely the next time.
When your puppy has an accident it’s very important that you clean it up thoroughly. This will discourage your puppy from going back to the area to use it again. You can use a simple mixture of white vinegar and water. Or, there are good commercial cleaners with enzymes that you can buy from pet supply stores. Make sure you clean thoroughly to remove all trace of the scent. The scent from the accident could draw your puppy back to the spot.
Remember To Praise!
When your puppy does relieve himself outside make sure that you praise him and give him a treat. Let him know that he’s doing what you want him to do. It’s very important that he knows this is what you want from him and that this is the correct behavior. Make a happy fuss over him. Play with him. Make going outside to potty a fun event.
If you follow these suggestions for house training puppies and keep repeating them for several weeks then your puppy will be house trained before you know it. Once your puppy learns these basics then he will know them for the rest of his life. House training is one of the most important things you can teach your puppy but you do need to get it right while your dog is young, I strongly recommend getting a dog training guide on house training puppies to give your puppy a good overall training program. You can click the link below to see my recommended guide for your puppy.