Housebreaking Tips For Puppies

Puppies are great pets to have, and while they're young, it's a good idea to begin training them to go potty. Elimination training is one of the first things your new puppies should learn to do. It may take some patience, but housebreaking a puppy is well worth the effort. Here are some tips to help you get started:
Close Supervision and Observation
At first, it is important to closely supervise your puppy and watch for signs that it may need to go potty. Behaviors like circling, squatting, pacing or sniffing the floor usually mean that your puppy needs to eliminate, so you will have to dash outside and let it do its business there.
Close supervision is also particularly important when your puppy is not crated indoors. Without proper elimination training, your puppy will tend to go potty anywhere in the house and leave a mess. It is easy for puppies to naturally eliminate even without a command, especially at that young age when they do not have the proper muscular control to go potty when and where you want them to.
Consistent Word Association
When it is time to eliminate, lead the dog out the door and be consistent with the command that you use. When housebreaking a puppy, you may pick a phrase like "go outside" or "go potty" and use this same phrase with same tone of voice each time. Be clear and firm without being angry.
Fixed Place and Time
When housebreaking a puppy, it is also important to set a fixed spot outdoors where you want it to go potty. Take your puppy to that specific area, issue the command, and wait for the desired result. This type of training will help your puppy to return to the same spot every time and, if properly trained, may even signal you if it needs to go out. In addition, your puppy will pick up the odor in the area and will seek out that same spot as the proper place for doing its business.
On average, dogs eliminate every 2-3 hours. There are also usual times when they need to eliminate, such as after meals, after sleep and after play. If you make it part of the schedule to let your puppy go potty during such times, it will be easier for your pet to learn the desired behavior.
Positive Reinforcement
Housebreaking a puppy also requires that you praise your puppy when it performs the desired behavior properly - and praise it lavishly. Also, make sure you praise your puppy on the spot - immediately after you get the desired result.
When accidents happen, don't become angry and impatient. More importantly, never rub the dog's nose in its own mess. You can correct your dog by saying "no" but do not physically punish it. Punishing your dog is counterproductive and will make it harder for your pet to pick up the desired behavior. When you punish your dog after an accident, it may associate the punishment with the act itself of going potty and end up getting confused.
Housebreaking Supplies
It never hurts to use some training supplies and products to help with housebreaking a puppy. For instance, there are training pads or housebreaking pads that are treated to attract pets to use them. There are also housebreaking sprays that you can use indoors. These serve as repellents and neutralize pet odor, so you can teach your pet to stay away from certain areas.
Consistency, patience and praise are the keys to proper dog training. And while other dog behaviors can be learned in a few days, housebreaking a puppy may take anywhere from a few weeks to a month or more. But if you keep at it, you will eventually see results.
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