How to House Train a puppy

Jeanne Perciaccanto
Ultimate Dog Training

Tis the season for gift giving and the Christmas puppies will arrive. Whether you are young or young at heart, there is nothing like a new puppy!

Before you give the gift that keeps on giving, be prepared to ensure all goes well with your surprise.
First plan ahead on items you will need for the puppy’s new owner.
The most over looked part of the plan is how to house train the puppy once it arrives. Most think the pup will just know what to do and forget to teach the puppy the where, when and how of house training.

Let’s start first by helping a puppy learn what our expectations for them are for puppy house training.
You will need:

• A crate size suitable and expandable for growth
• A puppy collar and leash - takes a few days for pup to get accustom to wearing.
• Poop bags (ample supply) or a scooper
• Food & water bowls  **Food change can cause digestive upset so be sure to keep your puppy on the same food as the breeder until you can do a safe food change over.
• Paper towels - a lot of them
• Puppy shampoo - for crate accidents
• White vinegar or suitable enzyme based odor eliminator

Have a plan and start early. A puppy may be young but they have the mental ability to start learning from day one.
The most over looked part of house training is not just where to go potty but to help the pup develop the muscle control to “hold it” until the right time arrives, which is, when you let them out. House training has to address both sides of this coin, where to go and to be able hold it until they get out there! I come across many adult dogs who were not helped to develop this second part of the puzzle, muscle control.

Here are the basics:

• Time frame
• Limited access to house areas and unsupervised times
• Consistent feeding and out times
• Did I mention time frame!

There are three key times when your pup is in need of relieving themselves. These are:

• Waking up
• Feeding
• Play time- stimulates systems. Pups in play will start to sniff or look off in the distance, get them out!

Step one:

Every pup comes with its’ own bodily function. What goes in must come out so to speak but every pup digests food a little different from the next. Getting a handle on their normal functions is your starting point. It is normal for a puppy to poop 4 times a day, they digest food quickly. It is also normal for a pup to pee 5 times a day, tiny bladders. If you have a question about how often ( if excessive) your pup is going potty, speak with your Vet.

1- Time frame - the game is to catch the pup when it has to go and give them the chance to get it right! Spend a few days and write down every time your puppy goes no matter where (inside or outside). This gives you a starting point to understand how your puppy’s system works. How soon after eating/drinking do they normally have to go potty? This is never exact to the minute but gives you a window to work in.
This starting time frame now lets you know when puppy should be heading out the door.

Example: 6AM - pee & poop; 9 AM - pee; 12:30PM pee & poop; 4PM - pee; 7PM pee& poop; 10PM- pee

2- Start with your puppy in the crate. Pup goes from crate directly outside. So those in between times means your pup should be in the crate.
Take your puppy out on leash for 15 minutes to the same spot in the yard. Give them cue words such as “go potty”, “hurry up” and after 15 minutes, back into the house. If they have gone potty, they get free time in a regulated area to play, feed or training time. If they have not gone, they go back into the crate for 5-10 minutes, then right back out again and repeat until the puppy finally goes. This re-crating prevents the pup from just going when they come back into the house. Although not ideal, in the worst case, they go in their house (crate) not your home, which is where the puppy shampoo comes into play!
Sometimes they get so invested in sniffing and being distracted by life, they forget they have to go until back in the house away from all those distraction, then ooops, they go!
Do not stand or stay outside for extended periods of time, it will not help the puppy learn anything other than your willing to wait for-ever!
Do not play with your puppy during outside on potty runs. They must learn their first “job” is to potty upon going out before anything else happens.
Repeat this frame until the pup finally goes outside. “Good puppy” and free time. Don’t treat your pup for going potty, this causes other issues as adults. The pup will learn quickly that their reward is the free time. A simple mental connection takes place, “I get to do this, if I do that first!”

3- Puppies need to sleep for growth, so they sleep often. Start with a 30 minute free time frame and then back into the crate until the next out time on your schedule. Repeat step one.
This free time frame will increase as the puppy develops more self-control. Very soon they will be free for 45 minutes, then an hour and so on. Their safe place helps them relax and settle more easily. Never open the crate door to noisy pup! If they learn from day one that acting up in the crate gets them out, then you have taught a valuable lesson, carry on to get what we want.

4. Feed the same times each day and do not free feed. Regulating when and how much food they ingest makes it possible to regulate when they potty. Free feeding keeps their system digesting food, meaning they will always have to go at inconsistent times. Pups are usually feed three times a day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Start your feeding patterns to match your daily schedule which allows you ample time to address out times. Example, you leave for work at 7:30AM, this means your pup should be feed around 6AM. Lunch should be around 11-12PM and dinner 4-5PM. This gives you a few evening hours for your pup to finish digesting breakfast and lunch before your bedtime.
So those are the basics. Control their free time and keep it regulated. Know your pups time frame and how/when their system functions and show them what they get for going outside.
For further help, contact www.ultimatedogtrainingnj.com