Easy Steps to Housebreak a Dog
No one wants their dog to soil their carpet. Yet some dogs are purchased as indoor pets and being outside all the time isn’t an option. The answer, of course, is to train the dog to do their business in the proper place, either outdoors or in a designated area. If you follow these steps, you should be able to train your dog in no time at all.
The speed at which your dog learns this important pattern will depend on several things. First it will depend on the intelligence of the dog. Check online for a list of the smartest and most easily trained dogs. If your dog isn’t on it, they can probably still be trained. It will just take a little longer. Second, it will depend on the maturity of the dog. An older dog may have better bladder control, but a really old dog is hard to teach new tricks. Third, it will depend on your consistency with the training. You have to keep at it consistently until your dog won’t want to go in the wrong place. This article centers on a consistent method.
If your dog could understand English, you would simply sit down and say, “When you have to relieve yourself, wag your tail or whine or stand at the door until I get the message, OK?” Since your dog doesn’t know English, you must convey the same message through words, praise, gestures, voice tone, and rewards.
Dogs usually need to relieve themselves within twenty minutes of eating a meal. Therefore, do not feed them until you can take them out after they eat. If you want your dog to do their business outside, you must either send them out or take them outside to do it. At first, it is good to take them so that you can reinforce the good behavior when it occurs.
Success will be achieved through consistent praise for doing what you want, and showing disapproval when they don’t. At first your dog won’t know what you want. So when they mess, be patient and instruct. As your dog gets the message, disapproval can be more overt when the dog doesn’t do what they know they should.
If you got a puppy at eight weeks old (the ideal age experts say), then it is time to begin training at once. But don’t expect miracles from such a young pup. After they have eaten, put a leash on your dog and go for a walk. (Be sure to take a pooper scooper with you.) Talk to your dog. Say things like, “OK, time to do your business.” If the dog goes, praise them, pet your dog, and show strong approval. Exaggerate it as you would to a child. You might even give them a special food treat they only get when they eliminate in the right place. Do this after every meal consistently until a pattern is formed.
In the meantime, you don’t want to sacrifice your carpet for the lesson. So you may want to restrict your dog to a floor that is easy to clean. If the dog whines at the door, or in the night, get them outside quickly! Do everything you can to provide the opportunity for the dog to go when they need to.
If your dog likes to be outside, don’t punish them by taking them inside when they does go. Instead, heap on the praise and do whatever you can to convey to them the reason for your praise.
Most importantly, build a relationship with your dog. Any dog worth his salt will want to please their master. As you play with them and take them with you when you go places, they will experience the bonding and be motivated even more to want to please you.