Successful Housetraining

No matter the age, any dog can be successfully taught that indoors, is not where we humans want them to eliminate.  We just have to prepare ourselves, and dedicate our intentions to the cause.  Dogs are very black and white about things; it either is, or it isn't.  There is no "Sometimes" in housetraining.

The age of the dog is something important to consider when taking on this task. 

                Very young puppies, 8 wks - about 4 months, need to empty their bladders almost on the hour, every hour.

                A puppy up to 4 months old, can only hold it for approximately 2-3 hours.

                At 4-6 months, they can make it about 4 or 5 hours.

                From 6-9 months of age, 5-6 hours (if yer lucky).

Asking a dog to hold it for more than 6 hours is unfair, no matter what the age.  However, there are many adult dogs (over the age of 12 months) that are capable of holding for 8 hours or more, but be aware that it is not comfortable for them.  Consider:  During the day, you and I use the restroom an average of five times a day.  Why would you want your dog to only be allowed twice?

With consistency,  and kindness, any dog or puppy can be housetrained.

What to do First:

1. Vet Check. 

                In order to rule out things that may hinder our efforts, like parasites or bladder infections, it is recommended to have your dog receive a clean bill of health from your veterinarian.  Kidney problems and Diabetes can also cause excessive urination, so it's good to rule these things out before you attempt to housetrain.

2. Prepare Your Home.

                -Enzyme-based Floor Cleaner. 

Most commercial flooring cleaners contain a high content of Ammonia, which is also found in dog urine.  Even though you or I won't be able to smell it, the dog will, and will assume that  is an appropriate place to 'let go' if you haven't used something with bio-enzyme properties.  Nature's Miracle is a fantastic product line.

               

                -Suitable Crate, or Pen.

If you are crate-training, you'll want to purchase a wire crate (not the plastic airline kennel) that will house the dog at its full-grown size.  It is more economical in the long run, as you won't have to upgrade when he/she outgrows the smaller sized crate, and they come with a dividing panel that you can use to size it according to the size of your dog.

If using a Pen, purchase one made of metal.  The portable folding kind are wonderful for this purpose, and are not made of materials that your dog might want to chew on.

               

                -Puppy Pads.

You may as well buy stock in this product, as you will go through a lot of them during the housetraining phase.  Newspapers can be supplemented in place of the puppy pad, but are a lot less absorbent, and you will be cleaning your floors a lot more often.

               -Quality Nutrition Food.

Making sure your dog or puppy is eating a food that is easily digestible and made from high quality ingredients will ensure that he/she will absorb more necessary nutrients.  Which means you get less waste coming out of the dog.  These foods may have a slightly higher shelf price, but will ultimately save you money, as the dog also needs to eat less of them to get what they need.

                -Well-Fitted Flat Collar, or Martingale style collar.

No more than two or three fingers should be able to fit between your dog's neck and the collar.  It should not be too tight, nor should it be so loose that it would slip off the dogs head if he/she pulled backwards.

                -6 ft. Leash.

Preferably not made of chain.  Web or Leather or even rope is more appropriate.

                -Pee Post or Attractant Spray.

These products are specially formulated with pheromones and scents to attract your dog to the spot you want them to use as their bathroom.  The pee post can be pressed into the ground; also comes in a variety disguised as a rock.

                -Treats, Treats, TREATS!!! 

I like to use something of High Value to the dog.  Boiled and chopped chicken breast (boneless, skinless) works great for housetraining, because it is not something we'd normally use to motivate a dog.  It should be something they ONLY get for this purpose, not for any other behavior. 

3. Put The Dog on a Schedule.

                -Try to feed your dog at the same time every day.  What goes in on schedule will come out on schedule. 

                -Cut off water intake 1 - 2 hours before bedtime.  Pick up the water bowl.  It isn't fun for the dog who wants water to find the dry bowl sitting there.  Just remove it. 

                -Do Not feed in the crate.  You won't be able to see when he's finished eating, and might miss an opportunity to take him outside.

                -Pick up all unfinished food.  This is called "free-feeding":  Leaving food available all the time ruins the schedule.  When your dog wanders away from the bowl, pick it up.  In my house, there is a 20 minute rule:  Whatever isn't eaten in 20 minutes, is picked up; dog must then wait 'til the next meal to get it.

4. When to take the dog out.

                -Take the dog out first thing in the morning. 

Set an alarm with 7am being the latest you should take a young dog out (any dog under the age of 12 months old).  Make certain you are ready to go when you let him/her out of the crate, or pen.  Have your shoes on, coat, leash in hand, BEFORE you open that gate for the dog.  Making him wait while you find your shoes will result in accidents on the floor.

                -Take the dog out last thing before you turn out the lights at night. 

Ideally, anything after 9pm will help your puppy make it through the night. 

                -After Eating. 

At least within 10 -15 minutes.

                -After Playing. 

As soon as the game's over, (the dog game, not the football game ).

                -After Sleeping. 

Most puppy's need to go right after a nap.  If you find him/her sleeping, keep an eye out for when they wake, so you don't miss the opportunity.

                -At appropriate intervals for the dog's age. *see beginning of this packet.

                -When the dog signals it. 

Watch for key behavior signs like sniffing and circling.  Every dog has a different way of signaling they need to eliminate.  I once had a dog who would sit "near" the back door.  Not too close, not too far, but if I wasn't paying attention, she'd go right there.  You'll learn which ones your dog puts out.  If you see him/her actually squatting, and not yet urinating, you can startle them by clapping and moving towards them.  Don't be too aggressive, as this can frighten the dog and create the problem of a dog that hides behind sofas or goes into another room to urinate or defecate.  If you successfully break the squat, immediately take the dog outdoors.  During this stage of housetraining, I suggest keeping your leash either in your pocket, or clipped to your belt-loop, so you don't have to go find it to take the dog out.  Also, keep a few treats in your pocket, so you have something to give them for the impromptu sessions.

Do not hit the puppy, or smush his nose in the mess.  This will not help.  It will only damage your budding relationship and trust with your dog.

5. How to Take the Dog Outside.

                 -Make sure you are laced up.

Before you even touch that crate door, or let that pup out of the pen, make sure you are ready to walk out the door.  Those few minutes or even seconds it may take you to grab a coat, or tie a shoe, might mean the difference between a pup getting rewarded for going in the right place, or you cleaning up another mess.

               

               -Clip the leash to the collar.

Though this may seem common sense, it actually can slow the housetraining process down to just let the dog out to wander.  Even if you have a backyard with a fence, use a leash.  Free wandering is distracting; birds, squirrels, smells, all of it, can derail the thought of "bathroom" from your dog's mind.  He/she may actually forget what they were outside to do.

                -Use the same door and follow the same route to the 'spot' you have chosen.

When first housetraining, the dog desperately needs to be able to understand what you want.  Making it as simple as possible, by taking them to the same place every time will help.  It's fine to walk somewhere else AFTER the dog has eliminated.

                -Walk to the 'spot' and encourage the dog quietly. 

This is not playtime.  Do not pet the dog.  Do not make high-pitched excited noises.  Do not show the dog a toy.  You can say something like "go pee" or "use the lu" but do so in a calm, quiet manner.

                -While the dog urinates or otherwise clears out, praise them.

During the actual act, remain in your calm state and say "good dog, good dog"  Your calm encouragement lets them know they are doing something good.

                -Reward!

The very moment they are finished, stick a piece of chicken in their mouth!  Be happy, but try to keep the level at a "conversational" volume--  "OH, that's a good dog!  Oh my goodness! What a good puppy!"   Give two or three pieces of chicken if you wish.  Just make it clear that you are REALLY happy about what he/she just did.  Some puppies do not like excessive noise, and if our excitement over their elimination in the proper place is too loud, they may decide not to do it in front of us.  Make them feel good about the situation!

Waiting to reward after you get back in the house does not work.  The dog no longer associates the act with the reward, and will think you are rewarding it for coming back into the house, not for using the toilet outside.  The treats must come directly after the act.

If you have a toy-obsessed dog, you can easily throw a toy when they finish.  Anything to point out they did good.

If you are in a yard with a fence, you can also release your dog from the leash when they are finished.  The further reward of freedom will go a long way in reinforcing this behavior. 

                                "OH MY GOODNESS!  CHICKEN AND RUNNING!  I MUST TRY THAT AGAIN!"

6. What if Nothing Happens?

If you have taken your dog out to the 'spot,' on a leash, and he/she has not gone within 10-15 minutes, take them back inside and place them either in their crate or in the pen for 30 min.  After 30 min. take them back outside to the spot and wait again.  The attention span of a dog can be very short, and by the time they get to the spot, sometimes they have forgotten what they are out there for.  By putting them back in their crate or pen when they don't go, you can avoid a dog that will come back inside to urinate.  If your pup is small enough to carry, picking them up to go to and from the crate when nothing happens, can help avoid an accident on the way to the door.

7.  Umbilical Training

This method of housetraining works great for very unreliable dogs, or when you feel you need to keep a closer watch for those signals.

Simply attach his/her leash to your belt, or tie it around your waist, so the dog has no choice but to follow you around the house.  This makes it easier for you to watch for sniffing and squatting, and some dogs will give more intense signals when you are right there to give them to.  This is also a great fix for dogs that like to sneak off to eliminate in a room you're not in.

8.  Punishment is Not The Answer.

If your dog does make a mess of your floor, and you did not see it happen, do not yell at the dog.  Just take the dog outside for a trip to the 'spot.'  Yes, there's a mess on the floor, but it can wait a few minutes.  We don't want to just stick the dog in the crate when we find a mess, we'll create a 'hider' and we don't want that.  When you come back inside, put the dog in his pen or crate, clean up the mess, and find a heavy magazine or newspaper.  Next, take the newspaper and roll it up tightly.  Once you have a nice tight roll, I want you to hit yourself over the head a couple times repeating "I didn't catch the signal!  I didn't catch the signal!"  I'm kidding of course, but what I'm saying is that it isn't the dogs fault for the accident.  Dogs do not come into the world knowing that they shouldn't poop inside.  It's our job to teach them that.

                                                Accidents Do Happen!  It's a part of the process.

The idea is to instill in your dog that bathroom outdoors = chicken and playtime; bathroom indoors = nothing.  Very quickly the dog will pick up on this concept, and pretty soon, they'll be getting your attention to go to the chicken bathroom.

9. Phasing out the treats.

You won't have to provide boiled chicken pieces your dogs entire life.  Once you have reached a point where your dog is consistently asking to go to the 'chicken bathroom' (some dogs catch on in a matter of days, others may take weeks; be patient) you can begin to phase out the chicken. 

Asking 'consistently' means that you haven't had an accident in the house in a week or more, and the dog is either finding you and letting you know they need to go out, or they are going to the door you've been taking them out, and giving a signal there.

To phase out the chicken, without losing your dogs attention, replace it with a favorite toy here and there.  Try alternating between the toy and the chicken a few times before beginning to offer the toy more and more as reward.  If your dog is not into toys, or you would just rather use the ecstatic "good dog!" feel free.  But remember, you have to start by alternating when you give chicken (or whatever treat you've been using) and when you only use "good dog" and lots of pets or play.

If your dog immediately stops asking to go outdoors, and goes in the house again, you tried to phase out the reward too soon.  Be patient.  Better to be overly sure, then to have to back-track because you tried too much too fast for the dog.

 Crates and Pens

Let's discuss crates and pens for a moment.  Basically, if you use only a crate, you will have a more successful time teaching your dog that outside is for bathroom duties.  If you use a pen, you will be teaching your dog to use the puppy pads as a place to go indoors.

                -line the crate with puppy pads.

Most dogs do not like to eliminate where they sleep, but they will if they have no other choice.  i.e. They've been left in the crate too long.  The lining of the crate with the pads makes cleanup a snap if they do have an accident in there.  The other culprit of crate-peeing can be a crate that is too big.  If it gives the dog enough space to pee in one place and sleep in another, it's too large.  The crate should fit the dog well enough so he/she has room to stand, turn around, and lay down.

                -You can use a crate and a pen at the same time.

This set-up is Stellar! The grass is a great way to start puppy on the idea that grass surface is where you want them to go.

The pen can be set up with the crate inside it, if you have a situation where you need to be gone for a long period of time, and cannot take your dog out on the schedule they need.  Cover the entire floor of the pen with puppy pads and tape them down.  Anything that is loose becomes a toy, or can shift and expose floor.  Leave the door of the crate open and line the crate with something soft to encourage the dog to sleep in the crate if they desire.  This creates a space where the dog can eliminate, but not in his sleeping den.  If you come home and discover the dog has gone in the pen (this applies for crate only as well) just follow the "take them to the spot" rules, and clean up the mess when you come back inside.  Don't say much about it, just clean it.  Again:  Poop inside = nothing.  Poop outside = Chicken.

                -Teaching a dog to use the puppy pads.

If pad-training is the kind of housetrained you desire, set up the pen as described above.  Crate or no, this will work for pad training.  After 2-3 weeks of allowing the dog to 'go' inside the pen (you should still be taking the dog outside; dogs need that), you can cover all but one square of floor inside the pen.  If the dog misses that exposed floor, you are making progress.  If not, just clean it up and put a pad back over that spot.  Try again next week.  One pad at a time, expose the floor, essentially "shrinking" the area of pad the dog has to go on, but not reducing the space inside the pen.  After a few weeks, you should notice your dog only uses one or two pads.  At this point, you can try giving your dog more freedom by leaving the gate to the pen open, when you are home to watch the dog for those 'signals.'  When your dog consistently goes back into the pen to use the pad, you can remove the pen and allow the dog the luxury of roaming the house. 

I have no idea what is going on here...But I love this.
Good Luck with your potty training, and
Happy Bonding!