Puppies should be taken out every hour, as well as shortly after meals, naps, and playtime. You should always take your puppy out first thing in the morning, before you and the puppy go to bed at night, and before you leave the puppy alone for any extended period of time. Feed your puppy at the same time every day so you can predict when she’ll need to go outside. Very young puppies have to go to the bathroom as often as once an hour. [2] X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source That means you or a family member will need to be available to take your puppy outside that often. If you aren’t available to housetrain your puppy during the day, it’s important to hire someone else to do it professionally. If you don’t start early, it may take your dog a long time to learn not to go to the bathroom in the house.
If you find a mess behind the sofa or somewhere else in your house, it’s too late to discipline the puppy. Don’t rub her nose in it; she’ll just get confused and scared, and she won’t understand what you’re trying to teach her.
Use baby gates to limit your puppy’s area within your home. For example, you could put a gate up at the bottom of the stairs to prevent your puppy from roaming around the upper level of your home or put gates up to limit your puppy’s movement between a couple of rooms in your home. Allow your puppy more freedom as she becomes better at controlling her bladder and bowels. [5] X Research source Try putting your puppy on a leash when she is exploring a new room. It will be much more difficult for your puppy to get into trouble when you are attached to the other end of the leash.
Use language to strengthen the puppy’s association with the spot. Say “go potty” or just “potty” when you set her down. Don’t use the word anywhere but in that spot. Many people choose a far corner of the yard, sometimes a place that is fenced off, as the spot where their dog goes to the bathroom. If you don’t have a yard, choose a spot close to your home or apartment. It doesn’t matter where the location is as long as you take your puppy to the same spot every time. Bringing her to the same spot will associate the smells of the spot with going potty. Smells can often prompt a puppy to eliminate. Keep in mind that some puppies will go potty as soon as you take them outside, while others may need to move around a play a bit before they can eliminate.
Give your puppy her reward immediately after she goes to the bathroom and while she’s still in her bathroom spot. If you wait, she’ll associate the praise with something else. Wait until your puppy finishes going potty. If you praise your puppy before she has gone to the bathroom, she may get confused.
Use an enzymatic cleaner rather than an ammonia-based cleaner to clean up your puppy’s messes right after they happen. Ammonia based cleaners smell too much like urine, so your puppy may confuse the smell with her own urine. If the area smells like urine, your puppy may want to go to the bathroom there again. [9] X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source
Make sure the crate is big enough for her to stand up in and lie down with her legs stretched out. If it is too much bigger than this, then she may choose a corner of the crate as a bathroom spot. Make sure not to use the crate as a punishment. Take her out regularly for a game or to offer a toilet break.
Your puppy may try to making up for the bite by nuzzling and licking your hand. Praise her in a sweet voice and reward her with a treat, then keep playing with her. She’ll learn that playing nicely gets rewarded. [12] X Research source Never spank a puppy to cause her pain in return. Using physical punishment against a puppy will only make her afraid of you.
When your puppy starts nipping at your skin, put a chew toy in her mouth. This will teach her that she should be chewing on the toy instead of your hand. Do the same thing if your puppy nips at your heels and ankles when you walk around. Stop walking and give her a chew toy. If you don’t have a toy handy, just stop. When she starts playing nicely, praise her. If she grabs something of yours, distract her and swap the item for one of her own toys in its place.
Don’t use the puppy’s crate as a time-out area. She should never associate being crated with punishment. After your puppy has been in time out for a few minutes, bring her back to play with the family. Reward her when she plays nicely. If she bites again, give a high-pitched yelp and take her right back to time out. Eventually she will learn not to bite.
Always supervise your children around your puppy. Make sure that your children know that puppies are fragile and teach them what to do if the puppy nips or gets too rough. [13] X Trustworthy Source The Humane Society of the United States National organization devoted to the promotion of animal welfare Go to source
Practice often. Sitting can be practiced inside, outside, and anywhere you take your puppy. Carry treats with you so you can turn any moment into a training session. Eventually phase out the treats so that your puppy can sit on command without a reward.
After she has learned how to stay in one place for about 10 seconds, start walking away after you tell her to stay. If she follows you, turn around and tell her to “sit. " Say stay and walk away again. Be sure to reward her when she gets it right. Some puppies respond well to a hand signal with the “stay” command. Hold up your hand each time you say “stay. " Eventually your puppy may be able to stay without hearing the verbal command.
Make it fun for your puppy to come to you by clapping, smiling, and acting excited when she does. Teach her that coming to you is the best thing she can do. Practice the “come” command often in a variety of situations. It’s important that your puppy knows to come when she’s called, so that when she’s in a dangerous situation she doesn’t end up getting lost or hurt.
Try throwing your puppy’s favorite ball for her for about 10 minutes before you try to put on her leash.
If your puppy barks and jumps on you when you pick up a leash, wait until she is completely calm before putting it on. Do this over and over until she learns that she won’t get to go outside until she behaves. [17] X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source
When your puppy walks beside you, reward her frequently so she knows that’s where she’s supposed to walk. Continue using the red light, green light method for a few weeks. It may take a while before your dog learns not to pull you down the street.
For example, to train your dog to sit. Have everyone use the word “sit. ” Don’t vary this command at all. In other words, don’t say “sit down” or “stay” to get your puppy to sit. Only use the cue word “sit” or your puppy may become confused.
For example, if you do not want the puppy to get up on your furniture, then enforce this rule at all times. If you make him stay off the furniture during the week, but then allow him on the sofa over the weekend, he will end up getting up on the sofa more and more.
Reward your puppy right away. It is important to give your puppy his reward right after he does what you ask him to do. Over time, you should phase out the treats so that your puppy doesn’t get a treat each time he performs the behavior. Doing so teaches him to work harder because he can’t take it for granted that he gets a treat every time. Otherwise, he may become lazy. Begin to reduce frequency of treats once your puppy is performing the desired behavior four times out of five.
Start by teaching your puppy to associate the sound of the clicker with getting a reward.
For example, if your puppy makes a puddle on the floor, don’t tell him off. If you do, he will just think that you are angry at him for going potty, rather than realize he has defecated in the wrong spot. Instead of yelling at your puppy if you catch him in the act of defecating in the house, clap your hands to get his attention and make him stop. Then, take him out to his potty spot and wait for him to finish.
Make sure that you use regular activities as opportunities to train your puppy as well. For example, you could ask your puppy to sit before you put his food down, or praise him when he toilets in the right spot outside.
Use your dog’s actual name when he is being good, but then designate another nickname for when he is being bad. For example, if your dog’s name is Charlie, call him Charlie whenever he is being good. If he is being bad, call him Chuckie.
