House Train Your Dog

Most dogs can be house trained quickly and easily but you should ensure that during this crucial time you are vigilant and can be around for most of the day, so don't collect up your puppy at a time when this won't be possible.

The important thing to bear in mind is that your puppy wants to please you and is constantly looking for affection and reward. When your puppy was with its mother and the rest of the litter, the chances are it simply used newspaper spread out over the floor and didn't have to wait to be taken outside. It doesn't know any better so be prepared initially for plenty of accidents. When your puppy has an accident don't chastise it, the best thing to do is to take it outside and pop him on the grass or the place you have decided is to be his toilet. He will soon link going to the toilet with outside and not your floor.

Decide when you are going to housetrain him and alert the rest of the family to get them on board with this. Decide who will take him out, what the words of praise will be and which place to use in the garden.

Day 1 of house training. When you come downstairs in the morning, take him straight outside and show him his toilet. He almost certainly won't use it then because he'll be really hungry and only want his food. So feed him and refresh his water. After about half an hour, take him outside and wait until he 'performs'. When he does, give him loads of praise so he will make the association between what he does and what you say. 'Good boy/girl' works very well, along with a big cuddle or fuss. Once he has performed, bring him inside.

After about two hours repeat the exercise because they only have little bladders and he doesn't yet know that he has to ask to go outside.

You will be feeding your puppy about four times a day so after each feed, take him outside to his toilet spot and when he uses it, say the same words and make a big fuss of him.

If he does have an accident just take him outside to his toilet briefly so he learns to associate that place as his spot. He won't use it if he's just had an accident inside but it should reinforce the idea of toilet and this place.

Make sure before you put him to bed at the end of day 1 of housetraining, that you take him outside again. He will not be able to make it through the night and you don't want him to get in the habit of disturbing you so a puppy crate is a great way of containing any accident and differentiating between night and day.

A puppy crate is a metal cage with a plastic base. Put his bed at the far end and line the rest of the cage with newspaper. Leave him a bowl of water as well. He will not want to mess his bed so he will use the paper. Eventually his bladder will be able to cope through the night and when you come down and find the newspaper still clean you can make a big fuss of him so he knows he's been 'good'. After a few clean nights you will be able to take the paper away and dispense with the puppy cage. Like a toddler, it will take much longer for your puppy before he can 'go through' the night than during the day when you are taking him out every couple of hours.

Day 2 - 7 Repeat the process of taking him out every couple of hours and giving him lots of praise when he uses his toilet.

Day 8 onwards Your puppy should by now have understood that after he is fed and before he goes to bed for the night he goes outside and uses the toilet. He will want to do this because when he does, he gets lots of fuss. He may still have the odd accident even during the day but don't worry, these will become less frequent.

If you have to leave him for longer than two hours it is best to use the cage or take him with you so you can keep up the regime.

Do not under any circumstances punish your puppy for an accident. It is up to you to take him out often enough that he does not have one. If after he has been housetrained, which should just take a week or so, he has an accident and you have been taking him out regularly, simply clear it up and don't say anything. Puppies can't understand words but they will pick up a lack of praise as punishment enough and want to please you by performing in the right place next time so they get their cuddles and fuss.

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