House breaking

Question
I was wondering if u had any tips on housebreaking?  Thanks :-)

Answer
Crate training is the most effective method I've found.  Here's an excerpt from another email about a dog named Jax - it should help a little.  Also, make sure you get a properly sized crate (just large enough for the dog to lie down in):

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First - if you cannot watch the dog, then he is either in his kennel or outside.  He is NEVER to be left in the house without someone watching him.  If you can't watch him, put him up.  Period.  If Jax does eliminate in the house . . . roll up a newspaper and wack yourself repeatedly over the head yelling "bad owner!  bad owner!"  You weren't watching :)

The truth is, you have to watch him.  As soon as he starts to sniff and squat - yell NO!  You have to catch him in the act.  When he starts to go, yell NO! and escort him outside to his spot.  Praise him there if he finishes.  If you watch carefully, you should get pretty good at picking up on doggie signals about when he is looking for a place (sniffing in circles and walking his butt up to the exact place he sniffed, etc.).  Also, keep in mind the fecal elimination usually occurs within about an hour of eating, and hard play.  Rarely will a pup wake up and need to eliminate that way after a nap with no play or food beforehand.  So that should help keep an eye on time frames.

If and when you are a bad owner ;) and Jax does have an accident in the house, it is important you follow two steps in cleaning it.  First, use an enzymatic based cleaner which disinfects and eliminates the odor (even to the dog's super sensitive nose).  Lysol or carpet cleaners are good, but you still need an enzyme based cleaner - check out a pet store and they should have something like Nature's Miracle.  This will eliminate all trace of the accident to the dog, giving your house the appearance that he's never gone in there.  And since dogs are creatures of habit, if you erase his evidence of prior elimination, you are that much closer to giving him a spot to go to OUTSIDE.  The second important thing is when you do clean it, make sure Jax is no where to be found.  This is a little known trick, but for intelligent and clean dogs they can out think you.  See, they want a clean environment to live in too (which is why crate training works).  They also are smart enough to know that if you are going to clean up after them, why do they need to worry about not eliminating in the house?  See, they are just like kids . . . give them an inch . . .

So, clean up with them outside, kenneled, or in another room - never watching you.
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Good luck and feel free to email back with additional questions.