Corcoran Pet Care Center
7569 County Rd. 116
Corcoran, MN 55340
763.420.3930
Fax: 763.420.5954
[email protected]
Puppy Housetraining
Introduction: Getting started
Puppies 8 weeks of age and older are old enough to start learning about housetraining. Spending
the time and effort to get your pup trained gently and reliably is one of the best investments you will
make for your pet. House soiling is a common cause for giving up a pet. All of us at Corcoran Pet Care
Center want you and your puppy to have a successful experience and a long, happy life together.
The most powerful tool you have for changing your puppy's behavior is praise. Your pup wants to
please you. Praise and reward every positive effort during the training stages.
Punishment has no place in housetraining. You can shout "No!" and clap your hands once to
interrupt an accident in progress; but never chase, hit, or rub your pup's nose in a mess. This can only
teach your pup to look guilty and afraid if there is a mess on the floor. It will not teach her to quit
making such messes in the first place. Consider a health problem if a trained pup has new accidents.
Control your pet's environment, by not letting her have the run of the house until she has been
reliably trained for a month or more. This is vital to keep your frustration low and her teachable
opportunities high. Accidents in older pups are often due to letting her run loose before she has
become fully trained.
Equipment
A crate is a vital tool in housetraining. During training you will want a crate that is just big enough
to give your pup room to stand up, turn around, and lie down. It should not be big enough to have
space for a bed spot and a bathroom spot. If you buy a crate that is sized for your dog as an adult,
consider blocking off part of the crate with a cardboard box, or rolled and tied old towels. The pup
should consider the crate her den and feel comfortable there. Line it with something soft and washable
like an old towel, keeping loose threads trimmed. Avoid newspapers since your pup may have used
newspaper as a potty surface when she was with her mother.
Buy a plain collar for your pet, washable nylon is good, and a six-foot leash. The collar should
fit comfortably but not so loosely that the pup is able to slip out of it. To leave room for growth, do not
cut off the extra collar strap; and remember to check for tightness as she grows. Make sure the buckle
is easy for you to work since you should take the collar off when the pup is in her crate and a stiff
buckle will make it more difficult to do so. Choose a leash that is lightweight and quiet. Cotton, leather
and nylon are good materials unless your pup is a very destructive chewer. In that case a light chain
leash may be needed to keep it in one piece.
Choose a single good-quality puppy or growth diet and feed only that food. Changes in food
and table scraps can cause diarrhea, which makes training difficult. Pick one treat that your pup likes
for training. Use a treat that is available in small bites or can be broken into small bites or use pieces of
her food. Ask us for advice if you have questions about an appropriate food.
Have your puppy's stool checked for worms at the beginning of training. Not only are worms a
health risk to the pup and to small children who might put contaminated hands in their mouths, but they
are also bowel irritants that can make regular habits difficult.
An odor eliminator can be useful for cleaning up spots after the inevitable puppy accidents.
Mixing equal parts of water and white vinegar works well, but some commercial products are more
pleasant.
Method
When you begin training, your pet should be comfortable in her crate and wearing her collar.
Spend time with your new pup letting her go in and out of the open crate, feeding her treats inside, and
tossing in toys for her. Never scold a pet in her crate or put her into it with angry words; this should be
her bed, not her jail. Praise her when she is in the crate, and when she lets you put on her collar.
Distract and play with her if she scratches at the collar, so that it becomes familiar. Attach her leash as
she wanders around the room and hold the slack so that she can move easily with it. Later you will
teach her to follow you on the leash, but at first you just want it available as a control while you follow
her.
The key to early successful training is that the dog should not have the opportunity to make a mess
in the house when you are unaware of it. This means that she should either be in her crate, or
directly under your eye, preferably on her leash. When you see the pup about to make a mess in
the house you say a sharp "No!" and clap your hands or shake the leash. This hopefully startles her
enough to interrupt her, giving you a chance to scoop her up with a cheerful phrase such as "Let's go
outside!" as you run her out to her potty spot. If you are not holding the leash, you may find yourself
chasing her; which can make her think the whole thing is a game. If you get angry you may make her
aggressive or shy. By keeping her on the leash at this stage you can be most effective. If she
performs at all once you get her outside, be lavish in your praise.
Choose an area outside which will be a potty spot, and bring the pup there on a leash each
time you want her to relieve herself. Stand there in a boring way: do not move and do not play until the
pup uses the spot. Use lots of happy praise as soon as she has performed. It is best to wait until she
has finished or she may get so excited she stops half-done. For a pup that has difficulty learning,
consider bringing a treat out in your pocket to give to her the second she is done. Allow her plenty of
time for play and exercise afterward.
Remember that positive rewards and praise are your best tools for training! Now, we know that
this is Minnesota, and you may not want to stand in the snow or mosquitoes with your pup each time.
However if you just let her out and hope she goes, you will find training much harder. At the very least
you must watch and call praise to her as she performs. A reward given when she comes back in will
teach her it is good to come in, not to relieve herself outside.
Allow 10 minutes for the pup to eliminate. While you are waiting you may want to use a quiet
phrase such as "Go potty!" or "Do your business!” or "Better Go Now!" Choose something you are
comfortable saying. If your pup learns this association, you can use it to encourage elimination when
you are in a hurry. If the pup is successful, give lots of praise. If she does not perform in 10 minutes,
take her back inside with no playtime. Watch her closely inside and be ready to go back outside if you
see any signals like circling, sniffing or pulling towards the door. As you spend time with your pet you
will become familiar with her particular signals and schedule.
Plan a schedule for your pup. Feed her for 20 minutes 3 times a day. Let her eat as much as she
wants during that time and then pick up the food. If you are concerned about how much she eats, ask
us about it. She should sleep in her crate at night, and stay in her crate without her collar whenever
you are not able to have her on her leash with you. Water should be available whenever she is out of
her crate, but not in the crate. Take her out to her potty spot each time you take her out of her
crate, and after each meal and at bedtime. Also, take her out if she wakes up from a nap or drinks a
lot of water. Be sure to include lots of exercise and play time, but allow outside play only after she has
gone to the bathroom in the correct spot. Keep the bathroom spot clean and picked up, except for
perhaps leaving one small piece of stool in the first few days to help your pup recognize its purpose.
If you cannot be with your young pup for more than 5-6 hours during the day or with your older pup
for more than 8 hours, be aware that she is not likely to have the bladder control needed to avoid
accidents. If possible, arrange for a puppy sitter to come in for a mid-day meal, elimination and
playtime. Some high-school kids get out of class by early afternoon and make a good choice, or a
retired neighbor might help. If this is not possible you have other less-desirable choices. You could
leave the pup outside all day, providing you have a safe run and adequate weather protection, etc. You
could choose a small hard-floor room or wire pen as an indoor space and put her open crate in there
for a bed, with newspaper or absorbent pads on the floor for a bathroom spot. Be aware that if you
choose this option your pup may prefer her inside potty when you are home, too, although you may
keep her away from it on the leash and wean her off it as she matures. If you force your pup to wet her
crate repeatedly, she will lose that useful instinct for keeping her bed clean. Training will become more
difficult. If there is an accident, remember to clean it up without scolding of punishment. You can
make her afraid of a mess on the floor, but she will not remember that she did it. When she has
performed perfectly for one month, gradually let her have more freedom in the house. If she has
accidents, start over and go more slowly.