Housebreaking a puppy takes patience and many trips outside. Their bladders are not able to hold it like an adult dog can. They usually cannot start holding it until they are 3 months old. The rule of thumb when housebreaking a puppy is usually that your new puppy is usually that your new pup can hold it for as many hours long as old he is in months, plus one. In other words if your puppy is 3 months old he probably can hold it for 4 hours. Some puppies relieve themselves as soon as they have a little in their bladder and end up going every hour. So be prepared for lots of trips outside!
The concept of housebreaking a puppy is pretty simple as long as you actually go outside with your dog. Many people just let their dogs out the back door and let them do their own thing in the fenced in yard. When you are housebreaking a puppy you need to be out there with your puppy so that you can reward him at just the right time. Even if you have a fenced yard, it’s a good idea to take the puppy out on the leash so that he will go his business instead of sniffing around. As soon as he has stopped peeing or pooping and his legs are bringing his rear end back up, praise him and immediately give him a treat.
If he just wants to play or sniff around then you can pick him up and take him back in the house right away and keep and eye on him and bring him out 15-20 minutes later to try again. After he successfully goes potty outside, you may also want to allow him to sniff around and play since he was such a good boy. It also will show him that fun things happen if he goes potty first.
If you wait at the back door and give your dog a treat when he comes in, that is only rewarding him for coming back in the house, not for going potty outside.
When housebreaking a puppy, it is extremely important to always keep an eye on your dog so that he doesn’t have the chance to go in the house. So many people blame dogs for the accidents, when it is the human that should have been watching for clues that the dog needed to go. Some clues that your puppy has to go potty are; sniffing the floor, going in circles as if he is trying to find the perfect place to go, or whining. Take him outside the moment you see him doing any of these things. Don’t give him the change to have an accident, and bad habits will not develop.
If you catch him going in the house, tell him “NO”, (firmly but don’t scream or yell or be scary), pick him up and get him outside. Be sure to praise and reward with a treat when he goes outside.
Again, don’t punish your dog fog going on the floor, after the fact. If you want to correct your dog, you need to catch him in the act and stop him then.
It is important to take your puppy outside to potty after he eats or drinks, after he wakes up from a nap, and after he plays real hard.
Crating
When housebreaking a puppy, a crate can be a useful tool, but it is very important not to leave your puppy in the crate for very long. It is important that he relieve himself before you stick him in the crate.
Paper Training
Some small breed owners choose to paper train their puppy. If you choose this method , then you will want to put layered newspapers in the area you would like the dog
