Housebreaking any dog (not just a puppy) can be one of the most frustrating experiences for dog owners, at time it can even feel as though your dog is using the bathroom inside just to spite you; however, I can assure you that this is not the case. Dogs are extremely sensitive to what is requested of them by their pack leader (you) which is why you see that guilty look on a dog who has just eliminated indoors even though they know they should not. There are quite a few ways to house-train your dog; however the easiest is the most successful in my personal opinion.

Whether your dog is 8 weeks old or 8 years old, tackling housebreaking is not only frustrating for you but it is also frustrating for your dog. The ideal way to housebreak your dog is to be consistent in what you are requiring of them and to take responsibility for their actions – for example, if you have been negligent about letting your dog outside to use the bathroom it is hardly his fault when he has an accident inside the house! Housebreaking is made easiest when you consistently take your dog outside to use the bathroom, this practice arises from the fact that younger dogs (3 mths and younger) do not have control of the muscle which allows them to “hold it” and so when they feel the need to go they are going to go wherever they happen to be at the time. You can control your puppies bladder by making sure you take them out frequently and after any major events such as playing, eating, drinking, napping etc. By taking your puppy or fully grown dog outside to use the bathroom frequently they are much more likely to understand where they are expected to potty. Rewarding correct bathroom behaviours is a great way to encourage repetition of this behaviour. It should not take long for your dog to catch on to the fact that outside + potty = treats & praise, and consequently they will repeat the positively enforced behaviour as frequently as possible.

As Jet was growing through his puppy-hood I was fortunate enough to be working at home and so taking him outside to potty every hour or two was not a big deal, as a result he was quickly housebroken – although I will say that standing outdoors at 3am hoping he’d catch on and pee outdoors did become frustrating at times (just remember that this only lasts about a week if you teach potty training effectively!) If you are not so fortunate and are not able to spend your dog’s puppy-hood at home with him constantly you will need to invest in a crate (which I suggest you have regardless of your potty training status.) Crating your dog in a crate just large enough for him to turn around in will encourage your dog to “hold it” because once your dog is in control of those “hold it” muscles he will always be reluctant to potty where he sleeps – of course it is important when using this method to use the crate as a place to sleep. When you leave for work make sure you take your dog out to use the bathroom, as soon as you come back inside put him in his crate. A dog can stay in a crate for the same number of hours as he is months old plus one – so if your dog is 3 months old he can stay in a crate and “hold it” for 4 hours max. This number will also depend on the amount of water your dog has ingested prior to being crated but overall it is a good rule of thumb. Your puppy is not going to be able to hold it for 8-9 hours while you are at work all day, nor should he be expected to so you must make arrangements to come home during your lunch break and perhaps 15 minute break during the day to let your new puppy out to use the bathroom. If you are unable to come home during the day you will need to invest in a dog walker, ask a neighbor to walk your dog for you, or else you will need to talk to your local vet about possible daily programs that are available to your dog (these will depend on the age of your dog and what shots he has already had.) With this rule of thumb you want to keep in mind that even three or four year old dogs are not going to be able to “hold it” for ridiculous amounts of time, in general 6 – 7 hours is plenty long enough to have your dog go without exercise or potty breaks. You may find on occasion you are held late and are unable to get home within this time frame and while your dog may be able to hold it keep in mind that the longer your dog holds urine in his bladder the more uncomfortable he is going to be and the more prone he will be to developing a urinary tract infection. Also keep in mind that as your dog moves in to his senior years his bladder will become weaker and he will not be able to hold his urine as long as he once could.

One final method of housebreaking your dog that I will mention is paper training. Paper training is when you use “puppy pads” or newspaper in a corner of a room to train your dog to urinate and defaecate in a specific area of the house. I strongly disagree with paper-training as it teaches your dog that using the bathroom in the house is a positive thing which will confuse him when you later try to teach him that using the bathroom in the house is a bad thing and that he should be going outside. Some people swear by paper training and it is effective for some people; however, I believe it not only confuses your dog but it also draws out the entire process of housebreaking.

Things are going to feel overwhelming and frustrating for a week or two while you undertake housebreaking; however, keep in mind that your dog is going to learn only as fast and efficiently as you teach him. Keep your cool and be a leader, shouting at your dog for accidents is only going to confuse him so instead praise him for correct behaviour.