How to Housebreak a Doberman
Whether you've just brought home your first puppy or you are an experienced dog owner, one of the first tasks that a pet owner needs to perform is housebreaking. While dobermans are considered to be one of the easier breeds to train, you'll still need lots of patience, persistence and praise to housebreak your youngster. Although it's best to begin training the day you bring your doberman puppy home, it will take several weeks before it becomes habit for your youngster.
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Instructions
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Place your puppy in its crate overnight after taking it outside to relieve itself. If you have a fenced-in yard, let the puppy loose and watch it; if your yard is not enclosed, keep the dog on a leash. As soon as it relieves itself, praise it and immediately bring it inside. Place the puppy in its crate and leave it there overnight. Provide a dish of water in the crate, but remove all food.
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Take your puppy outside first thing in the morning. If it has not soiled the crate overnight, praise the puppy lavishly. Do not punish it, however, if it has been unable to hold it. It will take the puppy a few weeks to become physically capable of containing itself for that much time. Keep the puppy outside until it relieves itself, then praise it heavily and bring it inside. Do not let it wander through the house, but instead keep it confined to a kitchen or mudroom that is easy to clean up in case it has an accident. Placing a child or dog gate across the doorway will help. Keep the puppy in his crate for at least part of the day and definitely any time that you can not supervise it.
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Take your puppy outside every couple of hours, or more often if the dog seems to want to urinate; if it starts wandering in circles or sniffing at pieces of furniture or the floor, this may be a sign that it needs to go out. Praise it lavishly every time it does its duty, then bring it inside. Be sure to take the puppy outside within 10 minutes of eating each meal. If you are consistent, your puppy will begin to associate going outside to use the bathroom with praise and getting to come in.
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Follow this schedule for at least two weeks, then slowly begin to extend the puppy's time out of the crate. Do not, however, let your puppy roam freely through the house during the day and return it to its crate at night. Before long your puppy will make the necessary connections and relieve himself outside consistently. He will then be housebroken.
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Tips & Warnings
Decide on a word or command to signal your puppy that it's time to go outside. Some people prefer "go potty" or "let's do it," but whatever command you decide to use, be sure to use it consistently. If your puppy should have an accident, be sure to use paper towels to wipe it up as soon as you notice it. Use a rug cleaner or deodorizer to remove all smells, or the puppy may look for that spot the next time it needs to go. Also, always feed high quality food, as poor quality foods may lead to diarrhea, which could slow the learning process. If your puppy shows no signs of learning after several weeks, have the dog evaluated by a veterinarian to rule out any urinary tract infections.
Never use the crate as punishment. Also do not hit your puppy or rub its nose in messes as some people may advise. This may stress the puppy out too much and defeat your purpose. Most dobermans want to please their owners and just need to understand what is being asked.
References
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