How to Housebreak a Puppy
Getting a young pup to comply with commands during housebreaking can be tasking but if done with love, it can be fun. Whether you’re dreaming of housebreaking a puppy in 5 days or you’re not pressed for time, there are steps to take. To find success when house-training your dog, follow these steps to get it right one time.
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Get a Crate
By getting a crate, you’re ready for the house breaking process. The basics of using a crate to house train a dog is to make the crate as comfortable as possible so the dog sees it as a place to relax in. Next, take it outside during the mornings so it relieves itself there and back in the crate it goes. It’s necessary that you get a crate that isn’t too big or too small. The crate should be big enough for the dog to stand, turn around and lie down with ease. If there’s too much room, the pup could start pooping inside the crate. Therefore, a crate with not much room is ideal as dogs dislike relieving themselves in their resting space. By doing the crate-to outside-back to crate routine, it learns to associate leaving the crate to pooping outside.
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Pick a suitable location for the crate
Choose a location that is convenient for the dog to place the crate. It should be easily accessible and close to the exit doors of the apartment or house. The crate doors can be left open so the dog can step out when it wants to relieve itself.
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Pick a time for your dog’s toilet break
Choose a specific time of the day and place for your pet’s potty break. Do this repeatedly with a specific command too. Ensure you give a good treat after they’re done with their business. On each toilet break, repeat the process. Take the dog to a specific place outside and a selected time and issue the command, then follow up with a treat. Over time, this procedure will be reinforced and your pup will respond easily whenever taken outside by the leash.
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Allow some play time
When housebreaking your puppy, allow some playtime for it to run free within a part of the house. Start with a room and eventually expand to other parts of the house. Ensure this free playtime is supervised. Let the playtime last for an hour before taking the dog back to the crate.
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Crate time
Puppy housebreaking schedule typically involves a balanced combination of outside time and crate time. While your pet can play outside its crate for about an hour, crate time can last for 3 hours. The idea is to get the puppy used to being in the crate in the house, even when not supervised.
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Find a balance in crate time, meal time and toilet break
While it’s a good idea not to allow your pup to get hungry, it’s also important to know the best time for feeding to avoid toilet accidents. A decent puppy housebreaking schedule should have about 3 hours of crate time every 1 hour of play time. In addition to this, feeding time should come first before toilet time. Generally, eating triggers the urge to poop in a few hours for most pets. Find a balance that works for your dog and stick to it.
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Be calm and take matters one step at a time
As a young dog, your pet will need lots of love, treats and patience to learn what you want it to do per time. To housebreak a puppy isn’t rocket science so if you follow proven rules, step by step, you’d get it right. For pups that defecate in the house, leash them close to the waste for 20 -30 minutes. Dogs dislike being close to their wastes, whether urine or feces. By tying the puppy close to it for a while, it will learn to do its business away from the house, thanks to reinforcement of your housebreaking efforts.
Will potty training take long?
From tested methods and experience, house training can last between 3 to 5 months depending on the dog. All dog individuals aren’t the same and might behave slightly differently due to age, breed, temperament, etc. The general consensus is that it will take some months for your dog to learn to control its bowels.
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