The 4 crucial elements to housing training every dog! Here it goes!
1. Regular Schedule
Keep your schedule as regular as possible! I mean everything from the time that you and your dog wake up, to feeding time, potty breaks, play sessions, everything. The more routine everything is, the easier it will be for you to keep track of when your dog/puppy will need to go out. You may find it easier to make a chart of potty breaks, feeding and water times. You should also always be using the same potty phrase, "go potty" "hurry up" "do your business" every time you take your dog out, as well as going to the same spot in your yard each time.
2. Discipline
You can only correct your dog/puppy when they have an accident in the house if you CATCH THEM IN THE ACT. No rubbing their nose in it later. You don't know how long it's been since they did it and they may not make the connection. You'll only be confusing and frustrating them.
When you do catch them, clap, say "no", stomp your feet - your objective is to startle them enough that they will stop so you can take them outside to finish.
2. Cleaning Up Accidents
Always use an enzymatic cleaner such as Nature's Miracle or Simple Solutions when your dog does have an accident in the house. These will completely remove all odor and stain from the surface that regular cleaners may not penetrate. If some trace of the odor remains, your dog is far more likely to keep coming back to that spot as they will recognize it as their "potty spot."
4. Constant Supervision
This is the most crucial and easily overlooked step. Yes, this can be tedious and exhausting, but the more diligent you are with this step, the sooner it will be over. If you follow the four steps of house training properly, it should only take 3-4 weeks for your dog to be fully potty trained.
Here are some tips on effective constant supervision:
Consider tethering you dog/puppy to you so that you can always keep them in your eyeline. This is especially helpful if you have a large home or a small dog that can easily sneak away.
Second, if you need to take your eyes off that puppy for even 5 minutes, it's crate time. DO NOT try to housetrain without the use of a crate, you will make things 1,000x more difficult. When your dog is confined to a properly sized crate, he will not have an accident and that will give you the rest you need make dinner, do laundry, run errands, go to work, and whatever other activities in your day that do not include supervising furry companion.
There you have it, you're on your way to having a fully house trained dog!
Comments