Category: House training

House training can be a breeze if you use dog-friendly methods. It is as simple as preventing mistakes (using on-leash supervision and confinement) and rewarding your dog for eliminating in the right spot (indoors on pads, paper, or litter; or out- doors). 

Being a good doggy time manager is what house training is all about —making sure that your dog is in the right place at the right time. Mistakes happen because the dog is either in the right place at the wrong time or in the wrong place at the right time. If, for example, you take your dog for a walk to relieve himself when he doesn’t need to go, he will probably need to go when he gets back inside! This is an example of being in the right place (outside) at the wrong time (when he doesn’t need to go). Once the dog gets back inside, you have an example of being in the wrong place (inside) at the right time (when he needs to go).

During house training, your dog needs to be taken to his doggy toilet (the right place) when he needs to eliminate (the right time), and he needs to be rewarded for going. All you have to do is make sure you don’t give him the opportunity to make any mistakes in the wrong spot, and pretty soon your dog will have developed a strong habit and desire to eliminate in a particular area—his doggy toilet. Developing this strong habit is the essence of house training. 

Every time your puppy gets it right and is rewarded for it, getting it right is reinforced. So set up your pup to get it right!  

Dogs usually need a trip to the doggy toilet thirty to ninety minutes after eating a meal or drinking, so a well-planned feeding and watering schedule will help you determine when your dog will need to relieve himself. Your dog will also need to go after playing and when he wakes up. So you can be pretty sure that your dog will need to go to the bathroom when he wakes up, soon after eating and drinking, and after playing. This is especially true with puppies who haven’t yet developed strong bladder and bowel muscles.

However, successful house training requires more accurately predicting when your dog needs to go. The best way to do so is to use confinement. Confining your dog to a small area, such as a crate, inhibits him from eliminating because most puppies and dogs naturally want to keep their sleeping areas clean. So your dog will need to eliminate when you release him from his crate and take him to his doggy toilet. 

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that confining your dog is cruel. Using confinement in an educated manner is not unkind, especially considering how it accelerates house training (and chew-toy training) and therefore how quickly your dog can be trusted to spend his time in all safe areas of your home. We use confinement to help keep our children safe (for example, cribs), and we can likewise use it with our dogs. 

Don’t Kill with Kindness 

One of the most common errors people make is allowing their dogs to be in a position to make mistakes because they feel guilty about using management tools to prevent them. Limiting your dog’s freedom until he understands the house rules (where to eliminate, what to chew, etc.) is one of the kindest things you can do. This way, your dog will have a lifetime of freedom in your home, and you can be confident that he won’t make mistakes.

Supervision, food-stuffed chew toys, short-term and long-term confinement, and a food and water schedule are the five best tools to aid you in house training. Depending on your dog’s age and level of training, as well as the particulars of your lifestyle, you may choose to use only some of these tools. However, the wise use of all five will help your dog avoid mistakes whether you are home or not. As a side benefit, using these tools is also a great way to prevent separation anxiety and avoid puppy nipping, inappropriate chewing, and greeting problems. These tools should all be used diligently until your dog understands the house rules, at which point he may enjoy as much freedom in your home as you feel is appropriate.  

Supervision 

Just as you would diligently supervise a young child in your home, so should you diligently supervise a puppy or “adult dog in house training.” Until he is house- trained, your dog should be supervised whenever he spends time in the home (unless he is in one of the two confinement areas listed below). You must be able to give him 100 percent of your attention. Taking your eyes off your dog for even a few moments is plenty of time for him to urinate, defecate, chew on the furniture (or worse), or chew on an electrical cord or other hazardous object.

Give your dog a chew toy, step on his leash, and settle down with a good book. In no time, your dog will have a habit of settling quietly at your side, even without a leash on. When necessary, take him to his doggy toilet and let him relieve himself.  

Keeping your puppy or new adult dog on leash during these supervised times out of his confinement areas is a great idea until he is house trained and chew-toy trained. The leash will remind you to watch him like a hawk. It is also a good idea to bring him into areas of the home outside of his confinement area only when you know that he has an empty bladder and bowel (that is, after you have just seen him eliminate in his doggy toilet), or until he is house trained. 

For the first week, keep the leash connected to you. Either step on it to keep your dog by your side, hold it in your hand, or tie it to a stable object right next to you. Your pup can spend his time playing a game with you, chewing on a chew toy, or just resting. As your puppy or dog starts to understand the rules, you can give him a little more access to the room you are in by tethering him to a stable object nearby or by letting him drag the leash behind him (but only at a very short distance away!). Eventually, he will be house trained and chew-toy trained and will be able to enjoy time off leash in his home. 

Short-Term Confinement 

The primary function of short-term confinement is to predict the exact time of elimination. There are many side benefits, including preventing your dog from making mistakes in your home and teaching your dog to tolerate quiet time alone. In regard to its use for house training, your dog has a natural inhibition against soiling his sleeping area. If your puppy has been confined in his bed or crate or on leash by your side for thirty minutes or more, you can bet that he will promptly relieve himself when taken to his doggy toilet. 

By taking your puppy or dog out often, you will have many opportunities to show him where the right place is to go, and you will teach him to build bladder and bowel muscle control gradually and therefore successfully. Short periods spent in his confinement area have the added benefits of getting your dog accustomed to being left alone (essential for preventing separation anxiety issues) and teaching what is appropriate to chew (the chew toys you leave with him). When you are away from home for short periods, confine your dog to his short- term area—either a crate or a tie-down. When you are home, keep your dog in his short-term confinement area if you cannot devote 100 percent of your attention to him.  

What’s a Tie-Down? 

A tie-down is sort of like a crate without walls. Using a leash, tie your dog to a stable object (such as a heavy piece of furniture or an eye hook in the wall), or simply step on the leash to keep your dog at your side. Just as with a crate, a tie-down is meant to inhibit your dog’s elimination and keep him in a safe area so he can’t chew inappropriate objects and otherwise get into trouble.

Some owners prefer a simple tie-down, “a crate without walls.” 

Get Your Dog Comfortable with His Crate 

While it is true that dogs in the wild are considered den animals, that does not mean that your dog will necessarily take to his crate — if only for the fact that, unlike a den, a crate has a door that you close securely. You need to teach your dog to tolerate, and eventually enjoy, his personal space. There are two steps to this process:  

1.Associating the crate with things your dog already likes (food and toys)

2.Gradually increasing the length of time that your dog spends in his crate

Be sure to put your dog in his crate only after you have seen him eliminate, so you are sure that his bladder and bowels are empty and there is very little chance of him soiling in this area. 

Start by leaving the crate door open and tossing in a few treats. Your dog will eventually go in to investigate, especially if you plan the first few sessions during his mealtimes. When he moves confidently into the crate, offer him some extra- tasty, tiny treats for staying in there for an extra moment or two. You can gradually increase the time you have him wait in the crate for his treat from one second to two, three, four, five seconds, and so on. By repeating this process, your dog will start to want to go into the crate. Why? Because that’s where all the good stuff is! Now, when you put your dog in the crate, wait a few moments before giving him a treat. At this point, you might try giving him a food-stuffed chew toy. If you have already created a chew-toy habit in your dog, this process will be even easier because he will be occupied with his chew toy and hardly notice that he is confined. 

It is advisable to feed your dog some of his meals in the crate. At first, feed from a bowl, but gradually work toward feeding from food-stuffed chew toys so that when he heads into the crate (which has become his dining room!), he is prepared to hang out and work at his toys to get his meal. 

A good general rule is that you should confine your dog in his crate for only as long as you are willing to bet $500 (or whatever sum is important to you!) that he can hold it. And of course, never exceed a length of time that is reasonable and humane. Like any tool, the crate must be used thoughtfully and purposefully in order to be useful to you and pleasant for your dog. If introduced correctly, the crate can become a source of great comfort to your dog, as it is a place where he goes to rest, eat, and play with his food-stuffed toys.  

Can My Puppy Sleep through the Night? 

To help your puppy sleep as long as possible, take away his water three to four hours before you plan to put him to bed, unless your pup is not feeling well and your veterinarian advises otherwise. If you aren’t willing to bet that your pup can hold it through the night, then you can leave him in a well- designed long-term confinement area, giving him access to a toilet so there will be no need for you to wake up to take him outside. Alternatively, you can leave him in his crate in your bedroom and set your alarm so that you can wake your pup and carry him to his toilet. This is wiser than allowing him to wake you by crying or barking. After he goes, bring him right back to his crate to go back to sleep; do not play with him, or you will teach him to wake you to play.  

Daytime Crate Duration Guidelines 

Here is a general guideline for the length of time a puppy can spend in a crate before getting a break to go to the bathroom. As a general rule, a puppy can hold it longer at night than during the day.  

Puppy’s age	Provide a break for your puppy
8–10 weeks	Approximately every 30–60 minutes
11–14 weeks	Approximately every 1–3 hours

15–17 weeks	Approximately every 3–4 hours
18+ weeks	Approximately every 4+ hours (6 hours maximum)

Long-Term Confinement 

If your schedule does not permit you to be present to let your puppy or “adult dog in house training” out for frequent opportunities to eliminate, then you should leave him in a long-term confinement area. This area should provide your dog with everything he will need — chew toys, water or ice cubes, and a suitable indoor toilet. The indoor toilet is only necessary until your puppy has built sufficient bladder and bowel control and can be expected to hold it for several hours at a time. However, if you have a very small dog, you may want to have your dog use an indoor toilet permanently in addition to eliminating outdoors.

Long-term confinement options include:  

• A bathroom gated off with a baby gate.  

• An exercise pen.  

• An exercise pen that includes a crate. In this case, the crate is the dog’s bed- room and the dog’s toilet is in the area sectioned off by the ex-pen.  

• A crate connected to a doggy door that leads to a safely enclosed dog run. Your dog will essentially have a toilet and a bedroom. With this setup, your dog will all but house train himself!

If you leave an un house trained dog confined to a crate for a long period, he will be forced to soil his sleeping area. This is not only unkind, but it will also make it extremely difficult to house train him. So, for lengthy periods of confinement, either plan to have someone come in to give your dog a relief walk or leave your dog in an area that has a toilet if you can’t offer him adequate relief walks from his crate and he is not yet capable of holding it for prolonged periods. 

When spending time in his long-term confinement area, your dog can’t make house-soiling (and chewing) mistakes in the rest of the house. So, rather than leave your puppy or dog to roam around your home and make mistakes (for which he will inevitably be punished later), it is much wiser simply to keep your dog in one safe area until he can be trusted to handle freedom in your home. 

An ideal and easy-to-construct long-term confinement area. 

Yippee! You’re Here! 

When you get your pup from his sleeping area in the morning, don’t encourage his excitement at your arrival. Doing so will only make him more likely to have an accident before you get him to his toilet. Instead, calmly walk in and immediately pick him up to take him to the area where you expect him to relieve himself. Then, of course, let him know how fantastic it is that he went in the right place. 

One of the first things you need to do in house training is choose where you want your dog to eliminate. There are three basic options for your dog’s toilet: outside on grass or concrete, inside on a doggy toilet, or both inside and outside. Having an adult dog who is trained to go inside on a doggy toilet in addition to outdoors can be very convenient and is often the choice for owners of small dogs.  

House training Puppies versus Adult Dogs 

The only difference between house training a puppy and house training an adult dog is time. Pups generally take a little longer because of their limited bladder and bowel muscle control. Consequently, puppies need to go more frequently and therefore require more diligent time management and more frequent trips to their doggy toilet (at least once every hour or two for very young pups under 10 weeks of age). 

Indoor Potty Training 

If you have a young puppy and you can’t be home to take him out as frequently as necessary during the day, then use a temporary indoor toilet. A very young puppy needs to go to the bathroom so often (just like a human baby) that it is inconvenient for most people to have to take him out often enough (especially if you live in a high-rise apartment). If your schedule permits, however, you can avoid using an indoor toilet simply by taking the pup outside as frequently as you think he needs to go.  

Paper or Pad Training 

If you choose to use papers or specially designed pads to train your pup, cover the entire floor of his long-term confinement area with paper or pads so that he can’t make a mistake by going off of it. Don’t assume that your pup will know to target a small area of paper or pad. Even if he does so at first, this doesn’t necessarily indicate that it will remain a strong habit. It is best to set up your pup for success by covering the whole floor for at least a few days until you are confident that he has developed a strong preference for eliminating on your chosen surface. Every few days, remove a sheet or two until you are down to a small covered area. If he misses the paper or pad, then you have taken up too much too fast, and you should go back and cover more of the floor. Obviously, you will want to replace the paper or pads several times a day, so stock up!

Set Up Your Dog for Success 

Your top priority when house training your dog is to do all you can to set him up to be successful. Every opportunity you give him to make a mistake sets him up to fail. So use a little tough love and be diligent about the wise use of all the management tools so that he has the best chance of being house trained as fast as possible.  

A Smooth Transition from Indoors to Outdoors 

Ideally, it is a good idea to have an indoor doggy toilet that has the same surface as the one he will eventually use outside. Most people try to house train young pup- pies by teaching them to go on paper or pads and then outside on grass or concrete. But switching surfaces (from paper or pads to grass or concrete) when the dog is 3 to 4 months old means that house training is a two-step process: first teaching the dog to go on one surface inside and then on another surface outside. If you intend for your adult dog to have an outdoor toilet, bring a little bit of the great outdoors into your home. Get a roll of grass sod or a thin slab of concrete and place it in a large plastic litter box or a motor oil drip pan. If you choose to use grass turf or concrete in a litter pan, simply confine your pup to an area that is small enough that the pan takes up most of the area (aside from his bed). This arrangement may sound a little strange, but it will make house-training all the easier. You will need to replace the grass or concrete at least once a week. Unless you want your dog to be litter-box trained in the future, you will use this indoor doggy toilet only until the puppy is old enough to control his bladder and bowel movements for longer periods in his crate.

If you must use a temporary indoor toilet in a long-term confinement area, be sure to use every opportunity (evenings and weekends) to get your pup to learn to hold it in his short-term area so that you can take him to the right spot outside to eliminate. This way, you are helping your pup strengthen his bladder and bowel muscles, and you can make an easier transition to getting him to go outside quickly, consistently, and permanently in the future.  

A roll of turf is a marvelous innovation for a temporary indoor doggy toilet. It will speed up house training like you won’t believe. 

Quick Tips for House training 

• Give your dog every opportunity he needs to eliminate in the place you have chosen as his toilet.  

• Praise and reward him lavishly when he goes on his doggy toilet.  

• Give him zero opportunity to eliminate anywhere other than his designated doggy toilet.

Outdoor Potty Training 

Teaching your dog to eliminate outdoors may require some patience if you expect him to eliminate on an unfamiliar surface such as concrete. This is especially true if you live in a city and your puppy or dog is not yet familiar with the sights, sounds, and smells, which can be overwhelming for some dogs. 

When you take your dog to his outdoor doggy toilet, start by teaching him this new behavior at times when you are most sure he needs to eliminate. The best time is usually first thing in the morning. 

Don’t make the mistake of trying to walk your dog around the block to get him to go. Usually, this prolongs the process because your dog will get distracted, and some dogs who like to walk learn to hold it because they learn that the walk ends the moment they go. Instead, teach your dog to go to the bathroom right when you take him outside to a designated spot. Then the walk can be a reward for prompt elimination. On a cold and rainy night, you will be glad that you taught your dog to go quickly!

Walk back and forth in one area that’s about 10 feet long, and wait about five minutes for him to go. If your dog doesn’t go within five minutes, go back inside, keeping your dog on leash and on your lap (if possible). This is especially important with a puppy, whose bladder control is not yet very good, because you want to prevent a mistake. Sit down and read or watch television for ten to fifteen minutes before going back out to try again. This process usually takes no more than two or three attempts. Once your dog is rewarded with tasty, tiny treats and praise, he will start to understand what is expected when you head outside. Your dog is likely to go more and more promptly each time he is rewarded for doing so.  

Perfect Aim 

If you don’t want your dog to use the whole yard as a toilet, you can train him to relieve himself in a specific area. Dogs are very particular about where they eliminate, so it is easy to teach a dog to go in a specific spot. Use posts and/or string to create a boundary. Take your dog on leash to this spot and reward him with a special treat for going there. In no time, he’ll head straight for his special spot as you go out the door.

How to Get Your Dog Back on Track

If your adult dog is soiling in the house, the first thing to do is visit your veterinarian to make sure that the problem is not caused by a medical condition. If the vet says that everything is A-OK, then there are just a few steps to getting your dog back on the right house training track. When you can’t supervise him, be sure to confine him to a long-term or short-term confinement area. When you can super- vise him, have him near you on leash (and with a food-stuffed chew toy) so that you can prevent mistakes. When you take him outside and he relieves himself, give him three tiny, tasty treats for going in the right spot. In no time flat, you’ll have a dog who hasn’t been allowed to practice going in the wrong place and who sees the value in going in the right place.

House training is as easy as 1, 2, 3. (1) Confine your dog to prevent mistakes and (2) to predict when he needs to go so that you can (3) take your dog to the right place and re- ward him handsomely! 

Keep Your Cool 

Accidents will happen no matter how diligent you are. Whatever you do, don’t get angry at your dog. If your dog makes a mistake in the house, yelling at him or otherwise punishing him will serve only to teach him two things: that you aren’t so nice after all, and that you don’t like to see him go to the bathroom. Your dog will think, “Obviously, my owner has some weird urination issues and wants me to do it in private.” As a result, he will learn that the safest time to eliminate is when you aren’t around, and you will find that he is highly unlikely to go when you are at the other end of the leash. Instead, he will find hidden spots, like behind the couch. 

Remember, if your dog makes a mistake in the house, it tells you that he isn’t house trained after all. Either you failed to put him in the right place when he need- ed to go or you neglected to confine him when you couldn’t watch him. 

After being yelled at for going in the house, this dog is thinking that his owner has some hang-ups about urination. 

As a result, he has learned not to go when the neurotic one is watching. 

And so he is forced to hide to eliminate. 

If You Catch Him in the Act 

If your dog eliminates in front of you in the house, quickly say “outside.” Then scoop him up (if possible) and take him to his doggy toilet. Praise and reward him with a tasty little treat when he goes out there. Perhaps most important, let this incident serve as a reminder that you need to be more diligent about preventing mistakes. 

If your dog urinates when he greets you or others or when you yell at him, he is trying to appease you by saying in the way some dogs do, “Please don’t hurt me; I’m submissive.” Submissive urination is most frequently seen in dogs who lack confidence due to inadequate socialization and in dogs who have been subjected to physical or verbal corrections. 

Immediately discontinue using any sort of verbal and physical punishments; they will only make matters worse. Your dog is urinating as an appeasement gesture. If you respond with a correction, your dog is likely to get even more nervous and urinate more. In addition, you will further damage your relationship with your dog. 

The solution is to set your dog up to be successful when he greets people so that he isn’t so worried. For a couple of days, toss a small handful of tiny treats on the ground when you approach your dog. This way, he’ll be focused on the treats (and not on being concerned about you), and he’ll start to associate your approach with great things (tasty treats). If he urinates on the first greeting, simply ignore him. Leave, come back, and greet him again. It is unlikely that he will urinate on the second or subsequent greetings, so you may further reward him for dry greetings by dropping more tiny treats on the floor. 

After a few days, offer the treat from your hand. Then use the treats to teach your dog to sit to greet by waiting for him to do so, marking the behavior with a click or “yes,” and offering the treat. You can also lure your dog to sit by holding a treat over his head as you approach. Refrain from saying “sit,” because he doesn’t yet know what is expected, and saying “sit” will not necessarily get him to do so. Commanding him to sit may also cause him worry, which could cause him to urinate. Repeat these silent greetings many times over the course of a few days. 

After a few more days have passed, you can approach and calmly ask your dog to sit as you expect him to (since he has practiced this behavior for days) or use the food to lure him to do so. At this point, it is likely that he has come to view your approach, your hand movements, and now your request to sit as signals that he is about to get something great from you. In this state of mind, he is unlikely to urinate.

Don’t yell at or hit your dog if he makes a mistake in the house; it will only make matters worse. Instead, reprimand yourself!  

Work on socializing a submissive dog to lots of people so that he gets a boost in self-confidence. You might consider taking him to a dog-training class or dog park, where he is sure to meet lots of dog-friendly people, or invite some friends over. (See Chapter 4 for more on socialization.)  

House training Mistakes to Be Spiteful? 

If you think your dog has made a house training mistake to be spiteful (maybe you think he is upset with you for leaving him all day?), think again. As wonderfully gifted as dogs can be (consider guide dogs for the blind and bomb-detection dogs), a dog is not capable of thinking of holding and then specifically placing his urine or feces as a way of punishing you. It is more likely that a house training mistake was made because the dog: 

• Was not truly house trained to begin with 

• Was not feeling well 

• Has been punished for elimination and so waited to go until you (the big, bad punisher) were not there to punish him

• Was stressed (maybe due to you leaving), which caused him to have to relieve himself

 

Remember, the wise use of supervision and confinement when you can’t supervise your dog enables you to:  

1. Make sure that your dog is never in the wrong place at the right time. This ensures that your dog doesn’t make any mistakes, because each mistake sets the precedent for more to follow.

2. Make sure that your dog is in the right place at the right time when he needs to go to the bathroom.

3. Predict when your dog needs to go so that you can take your dog to his doggy toilet at the appropriate time and reward him for going. This is the real secret of successful house training.