How to House Train Your Puppy the Right Way

A puppy is a great addition to any household, but you have to be aware that you are going to have to house train the puppy, and there will most certainly be accidents.  Your puppy doesn’t know that he shouldn’t relieve himself on the carpet or under the dining room table.  It is actually quite easy to house train your new companion as long as you start at a young age and are willing to put in a little bit of work.

Get to Know His ‘Potty Dance!’

When you first bring your puppy home from the animal shelter or dog breeder, he is going to be very excited.  Now is the time to take him outside and let him go to the bathroom, even before the first accident.  Watch his behavior as he looks for a place to go.  Note that behavior so you can recognize it later and take him out before an accident.  When he goes potty outside, praise him for being such a good boy (or girl as the case may be).

Get Into a Routine

Take your puppy out to go to the bathroom every time he is finished eating, drinking, after playing and after waking up.  Eating or drinking will usually trigger an urge to ‘go’ after 10-15 minutes in a young, untrained animal, so do not leave him shut in the house right after a feeding or he will have an accident.  Wait 10 minutes, then take him outside for a minimum of 15 minutes.  Walk him around until he relieves himself, then bring him back inside.  He will soon get into the habit of going outside.

Crate Him Overnight

To reduce nighttime accidents on the floor, crate the puppy in your room.  You can get a sturdy wire crate at any pet store; make sure it is big enough for him to stand up straight without crouching with his ears erect (his ears should not touch the roof when standing).  The crate should be twice as long as his body at the absolute minimum.  He will become quickly stressed and upset if the crate you purchase is too small.  Put some blankets over the top of the crate so it feels warm and comfy like a den, and put an old towel inside it for cushioning. Dogs, and even puppies, do not like to go potty in the same place they sleep.  Make sure that you take him out at least once during the night and early in the morning so he doesn’t have to hold it for too long.

With consistency and praise whenever your puppy goes in the right place, it won’t take long at all to house train him!