With these virtues - as well as following the guidelines that we will discuss below - you will be able to lessen and even totally eliminate incidents of soiling accidents inside your home. Always remember that when it comes to dogs, especially puppies, you need to be prepared for several accidents to occur. This comes with the territory of pet ownership.
The key to all basic housetraining procedures is consistency; the more consistent you are in performing a regular housetraining routine, the faster it would be for your puppy to learn that this is the behavior that he or she should follow. Of course, don't expect to housetrain your puppy in just a few days. It will usually take several weeks and, in some small breeds like the Bichon Frise and the Chihuahua, it may take even longer.
Observe Constant Supervision
Always
keep an eye on your puppy whenever he is indoors, so that you can catch
him before he pees or poops. If your puppy is a bit frisky, you may
need him to tie his leash to you or to nearby furniture. Be on the
lookout for signs that he wants to urinate or move his bowels. The most
common signs are sniffing, restlessness, circling, squatting, barking,
or frantic scratching on your door. If you notice any of these signs,
take him outside immediately to his potty spot. Once he finishes, shower
him with praise and reward him with a doggie treat.When it comes to your garden or backyard, you should also treat it the same way as you would the inside of your house. Your puppy should be on a leash until he learns that he should do his potty in that one spot. Once he is housetrained, only then can you give your puppy freedom to roam inside your house and yard.
Practice Confining Your Puppy
There will be times when you cannot watch your puppy, so it may be necessary for you to keep him confined in a small area which would discourage him to eliminate in it. The space should be big enough for him to stand, turn around, or lie in. It could be a small corner of your laundry room or bathroom which you block off with old baby gates.
Another way is by crate training your puppy. Obviously, you put your puppy inside the crate as a confinement space. There are many procedures on humane crate training that you can learn on the Internet. If your puppy has spent several hours in the crate, take him at once to his potty spot. Praise and reward him if he finishes his potty outside.
Establishing a Housetraining Routine
When it comes to housetraining a puppy, you need to establish a schedule, much like what you do with a baby. With a regular routine, your puppy will start to follow a schedule for play, eating, and of course answering the call of nature.
In general, puppies are able to hold urinating 1 hour per month of age. Puppies that are 2 to 3 months old will be able to hold their urine for 2 to 3 hours. Do not go beyond this period or there will be a greater likelihood that it will pee inside the house. If you are at work for much of the day, you may need to get the services of a dog walker who will take your puppy outside for bathroom breaks.
Before you start housetraining your puppy, already choose a spot outside your home for its bathroom. The best potty spot should have loose earth so that it will be easier for you to cover his pee or poop up.
It is important that you take your puppy outside on a leash every two hours or more, after wakes up, during and after playtime, and after he eats or drinks. Bring him to his potty spot with a leash. As your puppy is doing his business, say a word or a phrase ("Wee wee!" or "Pee!" or "Potty!") which he would gradually associate with the act of elimination. Eventually, every time he hears this word, your puppy would know that it is time for him to answer the call of nature. Once he is completely finished, you can reward him with some playtime or a longer walk outside.
Rewarding your puppy for successfully eliminating outdoors is a part of the housetraining routine. However, remember that you only praise or give him a treat immediately after he has finished eliminating. Do not delay giving his reward until you are both inside the house. Rewarding your dog while you are both still outside would make him understand that he needs to finish his business there to get his treat. Also, make sure that he is completely finished before giving him a reward. Puppies are quite distractible, so that he may forget to urinate or defecate and end up finishing his business inside the house.
You need to establish a regular feeding schedule for your puppy. Naturally, if you feed your puppy every 3 to 4 hours, you can expect him to answer the call nature at the same intervals. The usual feeding schedule for puppies is 3 to 4 times a day. So, you can expect your puppy to eliminate at the same frequency as well. Establishing a feeding routine will make housetraining much more convenient for you.
Before going to bed, make sure that you remove your puppy's water dish 2 and ½ hours prior to retiring. If the puppy does not have anything to drink, the less likely you will need to wake up in the middle of the night to take him out to go potty. It is estimated that puppies can sleep without eliminating for 7 hours.
Puppies that wake you up in the middle of the night should be prevented from making this a regular habit. Do not create a fuss or make a big deal out of it. Do not open all the lights in your house. Just quietly (never speak or play with him) take him outside and then put him back in his sleeping area.
What to Do when Accidents Occur
Soiling accidents are unavoidable since it is part and parcel of housetraining. Here are the measures that you should take when such incidents occur...
Quickly interrupt your puppy when you catch him doing his potty indoors.
Say "OUT!" or create a noise to startle him. Swiftly take him to his potty spot and praise and reward him with a treat once he finishes urinating or moving his bowels.
Never punish your puppy for doing his potty indoors. If you discover a puddle of urine or a pile of poop, just clean it up thoroughly. You will only make your puppy afraid of you or afraid to do his business in your presence if you rub his nose in his filth, scold or yell at him. In most cases, frightened puppies will only end up doing their potty in unreachable places of the house, making cleaning more difficult.
Make sure that you clean up your puppy's leavings thoroughly. If it still smells of urine or feces, the greater is the likelihood that your puppy will again eliminate there. Inquire with your local pet store or with your vet on the best cleaning products that can completely get rid of odors.
Through constant supervision and practicing confinement measures, you will be able to reduce the incidences of soiling accidents inside your home. Puppies have a tendency to get confused if you are not consistent and allow him to pee or poop frequently indoors, and this will only make the housetraining process much longer.
When You're Not At Home
Puppies 6 months of age and below are unable to control their bladder for long periods of time (again, it is approximately 1 hour per month of age). If you are at work for more than 4 to 5 hours a day, a puppy may not be the best pet for you. It is better to get an older dog that has been trained to hold it until you return home.
However, there are some measures that you can take if you need to be away from home for a long duration...
Ask help from your neighbor or hire the services of a pet sitter to take your puppy outdoors to do his potty.
You can also train your puppy to do his potty in specific areas inside your house. It should be mentioned though that this will only prolong the housetraining process. There is also a risk that your puppy may become accustomed to doing his business on specific surfaces, such as newspapers. If he sees any newspaper lying around, he may automatically do his potty on top.
Paper Training Your Puppy
Puppies that are left alone for long durations need to be confined in small space that is enough for him to play and sleep him and allot a separate area for his potty.
In his indoor potty spot, lay out old newspapers or place a sod box. You can make a sod box out of a small wooden box or an old children's swimming pool (filled with sod). Your local pet store may have dog litter products that you could use.
If there are soiling accidents in other places of your home, pick up the soiled rags or paper towels and dump them in the potty spot. The smell will enable your puppy to determine that that specific area is where he should do his business.
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