How to Effectively House Train a Puppy
House training a puppy is generally the same, regardless of the age or breed. Some breeds are easier to train than others, but all can be house trained, even an adult dog that has never learned. Crate training is the most effective way to house train any puppy, according Dr. Mark Stickney, director of general surgery services at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. The puppy has a natural instinct to keep its bed clean and the crate becomes that bed. You are the most important variable in the house training of your puppy. The more closely you follow the schedule and stick to the rules, the faster the puppy will learn and the stronger its house manners will be.
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Instructions
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A wire exercise pen can be used in place of a crate for small breeds. Confine your puppy in a crate during times when you cannot supervise. The crate must be large enough for the puppy to stand up all the way, turn around and completely stretch out when lying down. If the crate is much bigger than that, the puppy will try to relieve itself in a corner of the crate, but any smaller and the puppy will be cramped. Wire crates provide better ventilation and a better view for the puppy.
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Feed regular meals on schedule and do not leave food out all the time. Feed the puppy on a regular schedule, according to its age. Puppies should eat about four times a day when first weaned, gradually decreasing to three and then to two meals per day by the time the puppy is 6 months old. Keeping a regular schedule helps to regulate the puppy's system so it will begin to relieve itself somewhat on schedule. The puppy should be given as much as it can eat in about 20 to 30 minutes, even if it wanders away for part of that time, and then any leftover food removed.
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Carry your puppy outside when it is very young, or it might not make it in time. Take the puppy to relieve itself on a regular schedule: first thing in the morning, about 15 to 30 minutes after each meal, and immediately before bed. Very young puppies need to go out overnight. If that is the case with your puppy, speed house training by setting an alarm to take the puppy out before it has an accident. In addition to these scheduled times, all puppies must relieve themselves after a nap, after drinking, eating and after a play time.
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Connect the treat to the act: Don't give the treat after puppy is finished. Keep the puppy on a leash, even in a fenced yard, if you want the puppy to relieve itself only in specific spots. It's easier to allow the puppy to find its own spot, and then teach it to use that spot consistently. If it chooses an inappropriate spot, redirect it by smudging a tiny bit of the urine and feces onto the correct area with a tissue, and then use the leash to keep the puppy with you in the proper place. Give the puppy a very tiny, soft treat while it is still urinating or defecating. The treat can't be enough to distract the pup from its business, just a tiny, quick reward. Praise quietly along with the treat.
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Clean any accidents with an enzyme cleaner, following manufacturer's instructions carefully.
There is no punishment for an accident. If you catch the puppy in the act, try to take it out to its spot immediately and praise it when it goes there. If you find an accident, just clean it up, and realize that you were not supervising closely enough.
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Tips & Warnings
House training may seem overwhelming and inconvenient, but the better you keep the schedule while the puppy is young, the better trained your dog will be as an adult.
Always leave a tiny sample of urine and feces behind when you clean the area to attract the puppy back.
Use the crate as you would a playpen for a baby. It should not be a dungeon that keeps the puppy trapped for hours each day.
Hire a pet sitter if you cannot be home at any scheduled times, and remember your puppy must have socialization and exercise as well as house training.
A puppy cannot physically hold bowels or bladder longer than approximately one hour longer than its age in months. If you keep it in the crate too long it will not learn house training, and you will destroy its instinct to keep clean by forcing it to use its bed.
If your puppy seems unable to hold for even an hour, or seems to regress after doing well, take it to the veterinarian.
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