Pet Behavior Topics

Housetraining Your Puppy Could Save His Life

That's not a joke. Many dogs are surrendered at shelters mainly because they aren't properly housetrained. (Why? Well, first he ruins your floors. You put him outside, but he barks and digs up the yard. You put him in the basement and realize maybe this dog thing wasn't such a good idea after all.) Don't be fooled if your puppy happens to get it right for the first few weeks. Start now, and stick with it until your pup really has no accidents. Housetraining isn't great fun, but it is crucial. And it gives you the dog you always dreamed of - the one living in your home, lying peacefully by your side.

Please note: Urban Out Sitters does NOT advocate the use of crates for any reason other than quick housetraining. In other words, we believe firmly that a crate should be discarded as soon as your pup is properly and quickly housetrained and chew trained. We strongly believe that it is cruel to leave a dog in a crate for hours on-end unless he clearly indicates a preference for it. Please review Crate Do's and Don'ts below before crate training your pup.

How to housetrain your puppy in 3 easy steps:

Step 1:On the first 2-3 days, take your puppy outside (preferably to the same spot) every hour and wait for him to relieve himself. Be boring and don't move - just allow him the length of his 4-6 foot leash and don't walk him. As soon as he goes, praise, praise, praise while you give him a few pieces of his puppy food and pet him, hug him, kiss him, and award him with the "prize" of a walk around the block. After his walk, he gets supervised "free run" of the house for 20 minutes (this is a great time to play and/or train him). Then into the crate for the another 35 minutes.

If you waited for more than 20 minutes and he still did NOT relieve himself, he goes directly into the crate for another 20 minutes or so, then straight outside again (this is not a punishment; simply a way of assuring that he won't let loose in the house.) Repeat as necessary until he goes.

Make sure he goes out just before your bedtime. Then, do the same routine once or twice during the night without the "prize" walk or "running around the house" time. Yes, this will rob you of sleep. Rest assured that it will save you many more hours of sleep in the coming months, and entire days of aggravation in the coming years.

Step 2: For the next week, take him out once every 90 minutes during the day and "as needed" in the middle of the night (he'll let you know). During the day, if he piddles outside, he gets supervised free run/play/train time for 30 minutes max. If he doesn't piddle, back into the crate. If he's had no accidents, add 15 minutes to each segment; in other words, he gradually gets more time in the crate and out of the crate. Accidents are common, however; simply backtrack for a day by subtracting 15-30 minutes from each segment until he has mastered that length of time. Your mission at this stage of the game is to never give him an opportunity to fail, so ALWAYS supervise indoor activities. If you can't watch him like a hawk during his "free run" time, tie his leash to your belt loop so that you'll be sure to catch him in the act, or better yet so that he learns to let you know he's got to go.

Step 3: Within about 7-10 days, your puppy should understand pretty well what's expected of him. Don't stop now, though. Continue to gradually add time to his supervised free run and crate time until he's successfully "holding it" for 3 hours during free run time, and 4 daytime hours in the crate. If you catch him sniffing around suspiciously and squatting "in the act", shout "OUTSIDE OUTSIDE OUTSIDE! " and take him outside immediately, and praise and treat him outside as he finishes up. It is imperative that you watch him like a hawk during his "free run" time, so that you can catch him "in the act" if he has a bit more to eliminate. If you can’t watch him like a hawk, put his leash on him and tie the end of it to your wrist or belt loop. This way you can either catch him "in the act", or he’ll hold it better, or he’ll start to let you know he’s got to go!

Remember: Every time your pup leaves his crate, immediately take him outside very quickly, before he has time to "go" inside. Don't give him the opportunity to fail, and he won't - and soon you won't have to worry about it at all!