With the arrival of a puppy begins both for you and for the young quadruped an exciting time. One of the first tasks that awaits you is, of course, to get your dog house-trained.
How you can best achieve this, how you can support your puppy and why small setbacks sometimes cannot be avoided, you will learn in the following.
- It can take several weeks or even months before your dog is housetrained.
- Establish from the beginning a fixed place where your quadruped may relieve itself.
- Young dogs need to empty their bladder about every two hours.
- Praise your dog after he has done his business to confirm his behavior.
- Be aware that nighttime walks cannot be avoided with puppies.
- Mishaps are not a reason to punish the young dog.
No dog becomes housebroken overnight
The good news is that all dogs can be housetrained. Because basically they are very clean animals, which do not dirty their own home on purpose.
Nevertheless, you will have to be patient in the beginning. Because it can take several weeks or even months until your dog is actually house-trained. How long it takes depends not only on your puppy, but also on you.
The better you succeed in developing a sense for the behavior of your four-legged friend and in giving him the opportunity to relieve himself in time, the faster you will get your young dog housebroken.
Note: A puppy cannot yet control its sphincters, so small mishaps can always happen, even if the puppy has already understood what you want it to do.
Young dogs need to relieve themselves regularly
Moving in is a stressful and exciting time for the puppy. He must first get used to his new home and learn where he is allowed to relieve himself. In addition, young dogs need to empty their bladders much more frequently than adult dogs.
If you want to get your dog house-trained as quickly as possible, you should therefore regularly give him the opportunity to relieve himself outdoors. As a rule of thumb, a young dog needs to empty his bladder about every two hours.
In this context, you should learn to correctly interpret the behavior of the puppy. As a rule, restlessness shows quite clearly when it is time for a short walk again. The better you manage to develop a good sense for this, the sooner you can avoid mishaps in your home.
A fixed place to relieve himself is helpful
If you want to housebreak your dog, it is helpful to provide the young four-legged friend with a fixed place to do his business. This can be, for example, a meadow in the neighborhood or a corner in your garden.
The important thing is that your dog is as undisturbed as possible and can relieve himself in peace. In addition, the place you have chosen should be available as a dog toilet in the long term.
For example, if your puppy has learned that he can do his business in the garden, it will take a lot of effort to get him out of this habit.
Extensive praise helps your dog become housebroken
In the beginning it is perfectly normal that it takes a while until your dog does his business at the desired place. You should therefore be patient and praise him every time he gets out of the house. Thus, the procedure is memorized with him over time and the waiting time becomes increasingly shorter.
In addition, we recommend as a support the introduction of a signal word, which you first use immediately when loosening up. After a while you can also use the signal word when your dog has to release himself on command.
After relieving the dog it is time to play
It is important to always give your puppy some time to play and sniff around after doing his business. If you do not, there is a risk that in the future he will wait as long as possible with the loosening, so as not to have to go home again immediately.
Nightly visits to the toilet are part of the process for puppies
Since puppies cannot control their bladder for hours on end, you should expect to have to go outside once or twice at night in the beginning. To notice your dog’s urge to urinate in time, a sleeping place near you is useful.
It is best to use a fixed sleeping place or let the puppy sleep with you in your bed. Since your puppy does not want to soil his bed, he will usually be reliable this way. However, time is usually short then. Therefore, we recommend that you always have your dog’s leash, keys, and clothes handy for nighttime bathroom trips.
Mishaps are not a reason for punishment
It will take a while until you get your dog completely housebroken. Until you do, occasional mishaps are just part of the process. Always remember that your puppy is not relieving itself in the home on purpose.
Even if you are annoyed by it, you should not scold or even punish the little four-legged friend. Because this will only unsettle him and can even lead to the fact that he eventually only loosens up when he is unobserved.
So it’s best not to make a big deal out of it, remove the puddle and next time make sure to take your dog outside earlier.