how to house break a puppy

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Followup To
Question -
I would like to know the best way to house break a puppy. I take her out as much as possible but she is still going in the house. I bought pads but she will either go beside them or not even close. I let her know when she does wrong but its not working.HELP! Hubby is getting upset. Thanks  Angie
Answer -
Angie, hi, and thanks for asking! Before I'm able to give you accurate advice, I need to know a few things:

1. How old is she?unsure but young
2. What breed is she, and is she spayed? she looks like a cockapoo and not spayed
3. How often do you take her out?first thing in morning and as soon as I get home around 4:00 and then before I go to bed around 10:00
4. What do you do to let her know when she does wrong?put her nose in it and give a little pop on butt and take outside
5. What do you do to let her know when she does right (pottying outside)?Bring in and give her a treat
6. How long have you had her?A little over a month
7. Is she crate trained?no


I need to know the answers to all of these questions before I can really help you. One thing I would advise is to stop using wee wee pads immediately IF you want her to learn to go outside. Wee wee pads do nothing except teach the dog that it's OK to potty inside, and that's not what you want.

Kristen

Answer
Well, Angie, her age really does make a difference. It's too bad that you're unsure. However, here's the general rule when it comes to housebreaking puppies:

Puppies can usually hold their bladders for as many hours as they are old (in months). So, for example, a 14 week old puppy is 3 1/2 months old, so it should be taken outside to pee at least every 3 to 3 1/2 hours. The general rule for bowel movements is that both puppies and adult dogs generally need to have a bowel movement within 20 minutes of eating, so you should try to take your puppy out 10-15 minutes after she's through eating so she can poo.

Always, ALWAYS, remember to praise the heck out of her when she goes to the bathroom outside. Make a big deal out of it and play a game with her afterwards. Wait until she has finished, and then erupt into praise and playtime for a few minutes before going back inside. This will help to encourage her to want to potty outside.

Rubbing her face in her excrement and smacking her bottom is not an effective way of housebreaking. It does nothing but make her fear you and could result in her actually going to hide somewhere in the house to potty instead of doing it in plain view. To her, what you are doing means "if mommy finds pee or poo on the floor, she rubs my nose in it and hits me". She is not able to associate the correlation between whenever she actually made the mess and you finding it later. All she knows is that when you find it, she gets fussed at and smacked. She's not able to understand that it's the act of making the mess that displeases you, unless you are able to scold her WHILE she's making it. You should only reprimand her if you are able to catch her in the act, in order for it to do any good. If/When you SEE her pottying in the house, clap your hands or say "Aahh" or make some kind of loud noise to startle her, then encourage her to follow you outside, and praise her for finishing out there (it may take a few minutes). Do not pick her up and carry her, because you want her to learn to go to the door on her own when she feels the urge to potty. Clean up the mess quietly when you get back in with a good enzymatic cleaner like Nature's Miracle. If you come home to a mess, do the same - just clean it up and go about your business.


Crate training is a very good way to housebreak a puppy, because they will instinctively not want to soil where they sleep and eat. The crate should be just big enough to allow her to stand up, turn around, and lie down in as an adult. Any bigger and she may start to potty in one end, and you don't want that. You may give her a blanket or bed to sleep on inside the crate at first, but many times, the dog will use the blanket to cover up a mess, so if she potties in the crate, you'll have to remove any bedding until she is housebroken.
In the mornings, let her out first thing, then feed her in her crate as soon as she comes back in - you don't need to shut the door to the crate when you feed her, just place the food and water bowls inside. Let her outside to potty as the very last thing before you leave, and then put her in the crate. Remove her food and water bowls from the crate at this time. If she did not finish all of her breakfast, that's ok. It should only take a day or so for her to figure out that if she wants it, she has to eat it then. If you're able to come home during lunch, or have someone else stop by your house midday and let her out to potty, that would be wonderful. When you get home in the evenings, let her out again (remember to praise and play with her after she's finished!) and then feed/water her in the crate with the door open. Allow her no more than 30 minutes to finish eating, and then remove her food bowl and put it away. Again, she will soon learn to eat all of her meals when you provide them or she'll have to wait until the next mealtime to eat. Take her out to pee/poo about 10-15 minutes later. Leave her water down until around 7:00, then take it up. Let her outside again just before you go to bed, and put her in her crate for the night. She should be able to go all night without having to potty, unless she's younger than 3-4 months, in which case you *may* have to get up during the night and let her out.


If you utilize crate training, it should not take long at all to get her housebroken, and you can gradually increase her free time outside the crate, starting with nighttime, as she's able to hold it all night, and then during the day. A puppy playpen is an excellent way to increase her free time without giving her full access to the house right away. Just place the crate inside the play pen with the door open. If she potties outside the crate, in the pen, then she isn't ready for that much freedom just yet.

I've found that crate training is the fastest, easiest way to housebreak a puppy OR adult dog, and it also provides them with a 'den' to retreat to after they are housebroken. My dog still sleeps in her crate sometimes. It is her safe place, where she can go to feel secure and where she knows no one will bother her.


Another thing you may want to consider is having your baby spayed before she reaches sexual maturity (which can be as young as 6 months in small breeds!). This will not only reduce her risks of reproductive system disorders that are very expensive to treat, but it should also keep her from feeling the need to 'mark' her territory. I recommend spay/neuter be done no later than 4 months of age. Providing a puppy or kitten weighs at least 2 pounds, spay/neuter can even be done as early as 10 weeks!

Good luck with your baby and don't hesitate to ask if there's anything else you need!

Kristen