House Training Your Puppy
Basic Training
The best and most reliable way to house train your puppy is to
provide frequent opportunity to eliminate in an appropriate place
and to reward this behavior immediately as it occurs. To do this,
walk your puppy on a leash at regular intervals and at least twice
every day. The direct house-training method requires you to be
nearby and to start good lifetime habits from the beginning. Other
methods may seem easier and may appear to demand less initial
investment of time. The direct training method, however, is sure
to save you time and energy in the long run. Puppies require more
frequent walks until they are able to reliably control sphincters.
This usually occurs by 6 months of age. The best method of house
training is to take your puppy out within several minutes after
each meal and each nap. These are predictable moments during the
day when bowel and bladder are most full. A wave of rhythmic contractions
along the length of the digestive tract (the gastrocolic reflex)
begins when food or water is swallowed. The contractions are particularly
strong after eating, which explains why a bowel movement is so
likely after a puppy eats. Feed your puppy at scheduled mealtimes
and avoid snacks between feedings. The gastrocolic reflex may
be conditioned by feeding your puppy at regular intervals. Allowing
your puppy continuous access to food makes house training more
difficult. Prevent "accidents" between meals by taking
your pup out before the accidents occur. It is best to leash walk
your puppy within 15 minutes or sooner after each meal. Continue
to walk, incorporating play to make it fun, until the puppy has
eliminated. If your puppy is too young to walk on a leash, carry
it outside to an enclosed, safe area. Stay nearby and play with
or pet it. If your pup is slow adjusting to leash walks, be patient.
Avoid pulling the leash and allow your pup to take its time. When
the pup prepares to eliminate, begin praising it in a happy and
light tone of voice. Continue your praise until the task is completed.
Immediate encouragement is necessary for your pup to learn to
eliminate in an acceptable area. As your dog eliminates, pleasantly
say something like "hurry" or "do it" and
give abundant praise. This teaches the pup to void on command
so that you won't freeze unnecessarily on a cold winter night
while the pup leisurely looks for just the right spot. If your
pup is initially afraid of the leash, leave the leash on indoors
for brief periods without holding onto it. When the pup becomes
more accustomed to the collar and leash, take the pup for brief
leash walks indoors before graduating to walks outside. Daily
leash walks throughout a dog's life help maintain good elimination
habits. Paper training is not the method of choice, contrary to
popular opinion. Paper training encourages the pup to eliminate
on newspapers spread over the floor in a designated area of the
home. This can lead to several problems. The first is that you
may confuse your pup by teaching it twice what it need learn only
once. When, and if, the pup has learned to void on the newspapers,
it must then be retrained to eliminate outside. The second problem
with paper training is that you may unintentionally teach your
pup that it is acceptable to eliminate inside your home. Though
some puppies stay on the paper, many more "miss" the
boundaries set for them. You may think your pup clearly understands
that it should void on paper. Instead, it may learn that it is
acceptable to eliminate anywhere in that room and may begin soiling
in a variety of unacceptable areas in your home. Some owners of
small-breed dogs prefer to continue paper training throughout
the pet's lifetime, but this should not replace daily walks. A
third problem stemming from this method of housetraining is the
practice of punishing the pup for eliminating in the house and
then taking it immediately outside. Some owners believe that pressing
the pup's nose into its own waste discourages it. Others punish
by using a stern voice or by hurriedly grabbing a pup while it
is urinating or defecating. Punishment is often followed by whisking
the puppy outside into a big and frightening world, where the
irritated owner impatiently awaits appropriate behavior. While
this may be intended to teach the puppy not to eliminate indoors,
the puppy may associate the punishment with going out and may
learn to fear going outside. A confused and frightened pet is
even more likely to spontaneously void when it is threatened!
The dog might even learn to fear eliminating in your presence.
It is pointless to punish your dog at any age for "accidents"
that occur in your home. This is particularly true when there
is any delay between the act of soiling and your discovery of
the mess. To be effective, punishment (and praise, for that matter)
must closely follow your pet's action. Punishment is not helpful
in house training and is ineffective unless it is given immediately
after the "crime." No matter how frustrated you may
be, clean up the mess and concentrate on the steps to prevent
another one.
Crate Training
Crate training is based on the premise that puppies are unlikely
to eliminate in or near an area used for rest. Crate training
is popular among owners who cannot continually remain nearby to
bring the puppy directly outside as described above. Some owners
place the pup in a crate while they are away at work, or absent
for short periods or even overnight. A puppy that naturally resists
voiding inside the crate may eventually adjust to longer periods
of crate confinement when you are absent. This method works well
for some dogs, but not for all. Many young puppies are simply
unable to control immature sphincters, especially when they are
anxious or frightened. Some pups may soil themselves and even
ingest their own waste. For these pups, the direct training method
is preferable and crate training should be abandoned. Some pups
do not tolerate this type of confinement, becoming very agitated
and excessively vocal. If the pup initially objects to being closed
in the crate, you will encourage undesirable attention-seeking
behavior, such as whining or barking, by visiting or otherwise
comforting the crated pup. Wait a few moments until it is quiet
and calm before checking that all is well. This way, you will
not encourage undesirable behavior nor will you defeat the potential
usefulness of the crate. If your puppy's objections seem excessive
or unacceptable to you, apply other housetraining techniques instead.
If you choose to try crate training, begin by selecting a crate
that will accommodate your dog at its anticipated adult size.
Your (adult) dog should be able to comfortably stand and turn
to change positions in its crate. If you are purchasing a crate
for a large-breed pup, you may decide to obtain several crates
of different sizes to accommodate your growing pet. If you decide
to purchase just the one for its adult size, you may partition
the unused space and enlarge the available space as the young
dog grows. Consult a veterinarian about your dog's projected maximal
growth, particularly if your pet is not purebred. To introduce
your dog to the crate, associate the crate with positive things,
such as food and safe shelter. Leave the door open until there
is no sign of fear. Cover a section of the floor with comfortable
and easily laundered bedding, such as a towel or blanket. Play
with your pup, tossing favorite toys into the crate for it to
retrieve. Place food and water in the crate to encourage your
pet to consider it a safe place. This also decreases the likelihood
that your dog will soil inside the cage. When the puppy enters
the crate without hesitation at meal time, gently close the door
while it eats. Keep the door closed for gradually longer periods.
Let the pup out when it is calm and quiet. The crate is your dog's
special place where it must never be disturbed or threatened.
The crate must not be linked with punishment or your dog will
avoid it. Encourage your dog to use the crate as a resting place.
When the pup is ready to nap, place it in the crate with a favorite
toy or treat. Never place your pup in the crate or try to remove
it from the crate when you are angry. Do not reach in and pull
your dog out of its crate. A dog that is threatened in its crate
may aggressively resist leaving it. Teach your dog to willingly
leave the crate on your command, using a simple "come"
in a happy tone of voice.
The Umbilical Cord Method
This method of house training is best used with the other techniques
detailed above. Attach your pup to a long leash that is tied to
your wrist or waist. This allows it a certain amount of freedom
while ensuring your constant supervision over its activity. The
pup cannot wander away to have an undetected "accident"
and you can anticipate the pup's need to void, taking it directly
outside. This method may be applied as an alternative to overnight
crate confinement or isolation in another part of your home. The
pup may be leashed to your bed or at least in your bedroom overnight.
While some puppies may have "accidents" where they sleep,
they may be less anxious when their owners are nearby, and this
may positively affect their behavior