Puppy Training: Housebreaking Advice

First things first: Do not expect the process of housebreaking your puppy to be easy, and do not expect to complete it before your puppy reaches 6 months unless you can monitor him 24 hours a day. What you can expect is for your puppy to act like an input-output machine, which means that he is likely to eliminate constantly. This is because puppies normally eat a lot while still trying to learn bladder and bowel control. Housebreaking a puppy, therefore, needs a lot of patience above all else.

Now that you have an idea of what to expect when you take on the task of housebreaking your puppy, it is time to give you some tips on how to go about the task when you are not at home. Before leaving the house, confine your puppy to a small area and cover the floor of this area with paper (old newspapers will do). Arrange his bed, food/water bowls, and favourite toys in the area.

Don't be surprised to see portions of the paper chewed on and scattered around the area when you get home. This usually happens when the puppy is still getting used to his surroundings. Just clean the mess up and lay down fresh papers on the floor. After a few weeks you should begin to notice your puppy eliminating in a particular area while keeping the rest of the papers untouched. When this happens, you can start reducing his confinement area and removing the paper that is farthest from his chosen elimination spot. Time will come when you will only need to paper his elimination area.

Now, what about the times when you ARE home? How do you handle potty training then? If you have something else to do and can't give full attention to your puppy, then you should follow the same steps as when you are out of the house. Take note, however, that your puppy will learn a lot more quickly if you spend some time actively potty training him. Active housebreaking requires your puppy to be brought to his elimination spot every 45 minutes or so. You also need to bring him to the designated spot after playtime, after each meal, as soon as he wakes up, and before he goes to sleep.

When you do have the opportunity to give your puppy time and attention, you may let him roam outside his area of confinement, but be sure not to let him out of your sight. Better yet, keep him on a leash when you take him out of his "room" and never let him out unless you're sure that his bladder and bowels are empty. When you notice that your puppy has become more reliable in using the designated elimination area, you can start letting him roam around the house more freely.

Praises and rewards are very useful in completing the housebreaking process as quickly as possible. So, remember to give your puppy a lot of praises and a bit of his favourite treats whenever he eliminates in the correct spot. Consistency and patience are the keys to successful housebreaking, so don't rush. Let your puppy get used to eliminating in the exact same spot on his own time.

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