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What is the best way to house train a dog?
What is the best way to house train a dog?
Answer by Katrina*:
Here are some basic guidelines for house-training a puppy.
The most important part of house-training is positively reinforcing with food and praise for "going" in the right spot. Keep treats in your pocket or near the potty area so you can reward your puppy immediately after he/she finishes. This will help in creating a substrate preference (what your dog likes to feel under his/her feet when urinating or defecating) of your choice. Dogs can be taught to target substrates such as: grass, dirt, concrete, the curb, newspaper, pads, and any combination of these. If you want to teach your dog to target more than one substrate (e.g. pads and concrete) just reward your pup after "going" in both places.
If your dog does make a mistake, do not punish your dog! Simply clean up the mess and move on. If you punish your dog (e.g. yell at him or even worse put his nose in it) you'll be teaching your puppy to be scared of "going" in front of you. Remember it’s not your puppy's fault if he/she makes a mistake; it’s yours for not setting your puppy up for success.
Management and supervision are two very important parts of successful house-training. I recommend using the following tools to help you: a leash, a crate or kennel, and a small area like an exercise pen, a baby gated kitchen, or a bathroom.
Keep your puppy on leash even when inside. You can hold the leash in your hand, place it under your food, or tether your dog to something. To help your dog settle down, give a stuffed chew toy like a sterilized beef bone or a Kong toy. The toys can be stuffed with: turkey, peanut butter, cream cheese, cheese, or even tuna fish. Now that your puppy is on leash he/she won't be wandering around unsupervised, chewing on the wrong things or going to the bathroom in the wrong spots. You'll also be more likely to see those predictive behaviors your dog does right before needing to "go" like: circling, sniffing, just waking up, having just eating a meal. Now you can take your dog to a potty spot to avoid an accident and to reward "going" in the right place. The only times your puppy should be off leash are when confined to a crate or pen and when having an active play session like playing ball or tug with you. Play sessions should only occur immediately after going to the bathroom so your puppy is less likely to make a mistake and you must be supervising the puppy.
A crate or kennel is another important tool and great for teaching your puppy to "hold it." The crate should only be big enough to comfortably stand up, turn around, and lay down. Anything bigger and your puppy might decide to go to the bathroom in it. When leaving your dog for a period of time that you think your dog can safely hold it and for short periods time when you are home, keep your dog in a crate. You can again give stuffed chew toys in the crate to help your dog settle. When letting your dog out of the crate, make sure your dog is quiet, as not to reward barking, and then take your dog immediately outside or to pads or papers.
When leaving your puppy for longer than he/she can "hold it," leave your puppy in an exercise pen or a fully puppy-proofed (nothing your puppy can destroy or get into like a garbage) gated kitchen or bathroom. Included in this area should be pads or paper for your puppy to potty on, a crate with the door open, and stuffed chew toys. Water can also be offered for long periods of time alone, but in moderation.
Following these guidelines and your puppy will be on his/her way to being house-trained. Good luck and have fun!
* NOTE: Answer provided by dog trainer Katrina Krings, not currently affiliated with Pikapet.com
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