A-Z DOGS & BLOGS

Housebreaking Your Puppy

dog training puppy training Aug 25, 2021

This is the most important and very first thing you want to train your puppy on. Housebreaking takes time, patience, and management.

Management means no “free-roaming” for the dog and uses a kennel, X-pens, or teether to keep an eye on the puppy at all times. Management also means you need to have the puppies eating on a schedule and taking them out every hour.

Take the puppy out every 30-60 minutes to the designated area (grass or grass patch), and reward with a high-value treat as soon as the puppy uses the bathroom.

DO NOT YELL '“NO,” punish, scream, or get mad at the puppy when they go to the bathroom in the wrong spot. Puppies do not associate yelling with their behavior, and they become more afraid to go to the bathroom in front of you. They can also get sneakier and hide their pee or poop if they think you will yell at them. Worst of all, please do not put your dog's nose in the pee or poop. This is called overcorrection and will lead to them eating their feces and taking even longer to fully potty-train them.

Make sure you’re using an enzymatic cleaner like listed below. Yes! The cleaner matters certain household cleaners can lead the puppy back to the same spot in the house if you are having problems with the number of people in the house and still having accidents. Then it would be best if you started a housebreaking log.

Cleaners- Scout’s Honor or Rocco & Roxie

We hope this helps guide you in the right direction to potty train your puppy. Remember patience and consistency is not optional. Housebreaking is the very first thing you want to teach your pup. Remember the difference between dog mistakes and human error.

Reach out to us if you need any additional help. We offer various programs if you need help.

Ruth created to look at the whole dog for a successful and custom training program. Ruth has been in the dog professional career for eight-plus years and has experience with small and large breeds, behavioral, reactivity, and aggression cases. Ruth loves dogs and is a dog mom to three good doggos. Oakley is a 6yr old Akita and Cattle Dog Mix that she adopted. Zena is a Husky/ Pitt mix that Ruth took in as an unruly puppy. Last but not least is Bean, the five-pound chihuahua that they rescued as well. We love empowering owners and their dogs to enjoy a stress-free life together.