How to House Train Dogs

One of the first priorities when a family brings home a new dog is usually to house train the dog. Of course, everyone in the family wanted the dog, but when accidents begin to happen on the rug, no one wants to clean them up. It does not take long for the adults of the house to begin losing patience with dogs that use the living room rug for a toilet. How do you house train dogs?

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Puppy pads
• Dog crate
• Leash
• Collar
• Fenced Area (Optional)

1. 
    
   Take your dog outside frequently

   Take your dog outside every couple of hours during the day and every time you notice your dog pacing, sniffing a particular spot too long, lifting a leg, or dancing for no reason. Also, take your dog outside about 40 minutes after each feeding, before going to bed at night, and first thing in the morning. If you catch your dog in the act run your dog outside quickly.

2. Choose a word to use whenever you or someone else will take your dog outside to go to the bathroom. You may want to use potty, outside, or let’s go. Just use the same word each time so your dog becomes accustomed to it and knows what it means.

3. 
    
   Praise your dog for success

   Praise your dog, pet your dog, and get excited every time your dog does it right.

4. Place your dog into a dog crate with a chew toy whenever you are leaving the house, in the shower, or too busy to keep an eye on your dog, any of which could result in an accident.

Tips & Warnings

• Place puppy pads around the house, especially near doors, to catch accidents.
• Litter train your small dog so you do not have to take him outside.
• Dogs rarely go potty in their beds (crates.)
• Crating your dog will help increase its ability to hold its bladder and bowel.
• Never scold a dog for an accident that you find but have no idea when it happened.

Resources

• Get Rid of Your Dog's Fleas
• How to Feed a 2 Day Old Puppy
• How to Train a Hearing Impaired or Deaf Dog
• How to adopt a domestic newborn as fast as possible?
• Dissolving an Adoption
• How to Discipline or Punish a Runaway

[angellove24]

on 5/20/2009 I wish my old roommate had read this article would have saved a lot of trouble.

[drjen]

on 3/22/2009 great tips -- I am hoping to get a puppy soon and will use this article! 5*

[sonni57]

on 3/22/2009 Good article on how to house train dogs. Thanks for the info.

[Coach4U]

on 3/19/2009 When we got our Golden, Daisy she was 8 weeks old. We kept her in a crate when we were gone. We took her outside frequently. She was easy to housebreak. "5"