Housebreaking a new puppy is a process that involves a lot of patience and commitment. The process should be started immediately, soon after you have brought the puppy home. Puppies normally require relieving themselves five to six times each day, and most of the time, soon after they have been fed. Getting a dog crate to housebreak your puppy is usually the first thing owners think about, but there are several other ways to do this.
Paper training and the crate training are the two main methods that are adopted by owners to housebreak their dogs.
Paper Training
Paper training is perfect for a puppy that belongs to a smaller breed. If you are not repulsed by the bad odor, and have a puppy that is not going to be huge when all grown up, paper training is the housebreaking method for you. Refer to the following guidelines if you want to paper train your puppy.
- Select a place away from your puppy’s feeding area and place layers of newspapers.
- After each meal, take your puppy to the place covered by the newspapers and leave him to defecate and/or urinate.
- Remove the top layer once your puppy is done doing his business.
- Once your puppy has got the idea where he is supposed to relieve himself, reduce the area covered by the newspapers and let your puppy get accustomed to the new size.
- Keep on reducing the area till you are left with the exact spot where you want him to urinate or defecate.
Before housebreaking your puppy through this method, it is important that you know, once your dog has developed a habit of relieving himself indoors, it is very difficult for him to let go of it. So, if you want your puppy to go out to relieve himself when he as grown to his full size, you will have to start his training all over again.
Crate Training
In this method, you carefully introduce your puppy to the idea of staying inside a crate. Crate training involves you placing your puppy in a crate for the first few weeks, once he is brought home. Whenever a puppy starts to get restless, he is taken out and to the place where you want him to do his business.
You are required to:
- Take a clean crate and place it where you want your puppy to be kept.
- Place a toy inside the crate and leave the door open.
- When your puppy will notice the toy, he will take it out and play with it. Let him play for a while.
- After some time, take some treat food, make sure your puppy notices it, and place it inside the crate.
- Once your puppy follows the treat and is inside the crate, shut the door. Keep it shut for a few seconds, and then open it.
- Repeat the process till your puppy has been inside for about five to six minutes.
Do not stay in front of him all the time. Do not take him out even if he cries. Gradually increase the time he is kept inside. Make sure you do not keep your puppy inside for more than 6 hours. Do not keep your puppy inside the crate when you are not home.
Make a schedule and stick to it. Take your puppy out according to the schedule for him to relieve. Take him out after every two hours and after he has been fed. A regular feeding schedule will help you design a proper schedule for crate training. Eventually the crate will be no longer required. You will just have to take your puppy outside at the scheduled times.
