Time and time again, I have clients calling me because they are having trouble housebreaking a puppy or new dog.
My first and foremost piece of advice to them: hang in there! Housebreaking, while it may be frustrating, and seemingly impossible with some dogs; it is, in reality quite simple if you look at it from the dog's point of view...
Setting your dog up to succeed tip #1: Crate Training 101 - A dog, by nature will not soil it's sleeping area.
Use this to your advantage.
How? By giving your dog every opportunity to succeed, and taking away the possibility of failure before it presents itself.
When you introduce a new dog into your home, be sure that she is given her own bed (preferably in a crate large enough for her to turn around in and lie down in comfortably, but not so large that she is able to soil one end and still have room to lie down at the other).
A crate should always be a place that is safe, secure and quiet; it should never, ever be used for punishment.
A dog is by nature, a den animal.
Your dog will enjoy going in her crate if it is introduced in the proper way and made to be comfortable.
A dog should never; under any circumstances, be left in a crate for more than eight consecutive hours (much less for puppies and smaller dogs).
To make the crate even more appealing, try covering three sides with a sheet or crate cover, leaving just the door uncovered, to give the true den-like feeling to your new pet.
A dog who is properly crate-trained will enjoy going in her crate, and you will find that she will do so throughout the day on her own when she is in need of "quiet" time.
Respect her space and need for her own time.
Whenever your puppy/dog wakes up from a nap, follow the instructions for taking her outside immediately upon waking (I suggest carrying a puppy from it's sleeping area right outside in order to be sure she "makes" it).
Setting your dog up to succeed tip #2 The Call of the Wild- On a primitive note; what goes in, must come out.
Simple, right? A new puppy needs to go on "potty breaks" more often than an adult dog; just as a small dog needs to go out more than a large dog; their bladders are smaller and therefore, can not hold as much.
Feed your puppy/dog at the same time every day.
After each meal within ten minutes, take your dog outside on a leash to relieve herself.
In addition to after nap time, and feeding time, take your dog out every couple of hours (more for a puppy) to eliminate.
Choose a spot in your yard where you would like your dog to use for elimination and take her there, on the leash, each and every time.
Do not interact with your dog at all at this point.
Don't talk to her, look at her, or make noises at her.
Just take her to the spot of your choosing, and let nature take it's course.
As soon as you see your dog start to lower her hips (or lift his leg if it's a male), use the command word, "go potty", "empty", "busy" or whatever word you choose for this particular function.
When the dog is finished, immediately take your dog back into the house and use the praise, "GOOD Potty", busy, empty, or whatever word you have chosen..
Then take a couple of minutes to toss a favorite toy, or have belly-rubbing time, or something that is extra-special to your dog.
It is important that you immediately take your dog inside to praise them.
By doing this, your dog will learn to hurry up to do her business, because the praise and fun doesn't begin until AFTER they do potty! *NOTE* If you do not take the time to play afterwards, this exercise will not be effective.
The dog must have a goal in mind and something to look forward to in order to concrete it in her mind.
Setting your dog up to succeed tip #3 Don't blame the dog! Never, ever, under ANY circumstances yell at, admonish, hit, or otherwise punish a dog for an accident.
EVER.
If a dog has an accident, chances are it was because she wasn't given ample enough time outside, or taken out soon enough after a meal.
Rubbing a dog's nose in it's own urine or feces will not teach it anything except to resent you.
A dog does not understand this and this act is simply inhumane and cruel.
Ignore the accident and examine what you did to be able to allow your dog to fail.
Setting your dog up to succeed tip #4 Hide N Clean If your dog does have an accident, do NOT let her see you clean it up.
Take her into the other room, then, without complaining, clean it up out of her vision.
Seeing you clean up her mess is disturbing to a dog, and she may develop the habit of eating feces to prevent you from having to clean up after her.
Setting your dog up to succeed tip #5 Patience, patience, and more patience! Housebreaking a dog is easy, but it is time-consuming and patience is required.
Most of the problems I see are from owners not taking the time necessary to adequately train their dog.
They either skip steps, or hurry the dog along, trying to fit them into their own time frame of a busy life, demanding job, or hectic family life.
For these people I say, the time to think about these demands is before brining a pet into your home.
A dog is a living, breathing creature who needs to be properly trained and made to understand the rules in your "pack" before becoming a well-behaved member of the family.
To bring them home and simply expect them to know all about not chewing on expensive shoes, or peeing on a persian rug is simply not reasonable...
nor is it fair.
Take the time to teach your dog in a kind, positive manner, and you will be rewarded with a pet who is a pleasure to live with and be around for many years to come.
-Kimberly Carnevale