House Training

House Training

There are many steps to house-training a puppy, and sometimes even an adult dog! If you have an adult dog that is having problems with house training, I would first make sure she doesn’t have anything physically wrong. Make sure she has a full exam before you try any behavior modification. When she has the “thumbs-up” from the vet you can start her on her new management program! I would treat an adult dog that is having house training problems just like they are an 8-week old puppy again. Just start all over from scratch!

Crate training! Crate training is a must for house training. Most puppies will not potty in their crates. The rule of thumb for how long a dog should be left in a crate is – add 1 to however many months old they are. So, if your puppy is 8-weeks old, I would not leave them in a crate for longer than 3 hours during the day. Usually at night they can hold it longer because there are not daily noises or distractions to wake them up. Same thing if you are training an older dog – remember; treat them like they are 8-weeks old!
Use the crate whenever you cannot be watching your puppy with your full attention. So, if you are going to take a shower, or if you’re making dinner, or even if you are on a long phone call! Put the puppy away in the crate. You can put a toy or a chewie in there as long as you’re home. If you are leaving and cannot watch your puppy I would not put anything in the crate. Puppies can chew up rugs and toys and ingest large pieces... Best to avoid emergency trips to the vet! Having your puppy in the crate for these short amounts of time will also help prevent separation anxiety. Your puppy will be developing good habits by not getting into things while you’re not looking!
Food and Water – Be sure to feed your puppy meals, rather than free-feeding. When your puppy is on a regular feeding schedule, they are going to be on a regular pooping schedule too! Be aware of good, high quality brands of dog food, and talk to your local pet nutrition consultant to make sure you are giving your puppy the best food for him, his age and breed. Restrict water, but not too much! I have Labradors, and believe me; they would swim in their water bowl if they could! I would put their water up (away) about 2 hours before bedtime, or before I would be leaving for a few hours. This way, the last time you let them out to potty should leave them pretty empty for a while…
Potty pads or newspaper? Neither! I would start training your puppy to potty outside right away. Why bother with potty training her to go in the house, and then retraining her to go outside? Plus, if you use newspaper don’t forget to pick up the Sunday paper after you’re done reading it! If you have a smaller breed puppy make sure to shovel areas that are deep with snow!
Set your timer. Allow your puppy plenty of opportunities to go potty during the day. You want to set your puppy up to be successful, rather than waiting too long and setting him up to fail. Set your kitchen timer for every 45 minutes while your puppy is awake. Take her outside whether or not you think she has to go! Allowing her the opportunity to be a good girl.
“Go Potty” – When you take her outside quietly say over and over again “go potty, go potty, go potty”. Yes, you can train your puppy to potty on command! Say this consistently and then quietly praise your puppy as soon as she is done squatting. Give her a little treat as soon as she is done. Be sure to give it to her right then and there – If you bring her in the house and then give her a treat she will only understand that she is getting a treat for going in the house!
Go out the same door. Pick an “easy out” door in the house. This should be a door that you can see easily from the main area of the house. Place your leash and treats near the door. Each time you bring your puppy to this door stop for a moment. Look down at your puppy and (in a very excited voice) say “Oh!? You have to go potty? Good Girl!”. Then quickly put her leash on, grab your treats and go outside.
Going outside – Going outside should not be play time and exploring time. It should be business only! Make sure your leash is on your puppy. Go to the same spot. Don’t allow your puppy to wander or play. Your puppy can play *after* she has gone potty if you want though!
Watch your puppy! From this day forward you will have to watch your puppy like a hawk! If you ever see her even *near* the door you take her out you’ll have to jump up (be QUICK!) say, Yay! You have to go potty! Whisk her outside before she squats in the house! If you see her sniffing the floor, walking in a circle, acting distracted… Yes, there are many signals from puppies!
Don’t get discouraged! Some breeds take longer (smaller breeds, Bichons), some puppies learn faster than others. Sometimes they regress. Sometimes a bladder infection can start up out of nowhere also!
Nighttime – I would have my puppy’s crate right next to my bed. If she wakes up in the middle of the night I would quickly take her outside to potty. Leash on, same door, etc. I would not have it be playtime! You’ll want to be almost robot-like. She whines, you get up, take her out, quietly praise her, and then its right back in the crate to go back to bed. This should only last a week or so and then she should be sleeping through the night.
Accidents? If you find an accident in the house it’s already too late. Just clean it up really well with an enzymatic cleaner. Nature’s Miracle is one of my favorites. Don’t holler at your puppy, or push her nose in it. This doesn’t really teach the puppy anything. What it does teach her is that sometimes out of now where you yell at her and shove her nose to the floor! Some puppies start to understand that they cannot go potty where you can see them. This is when house training becomes very difficult. You have a puppy that doesn’t want to go in front of you, so when you take her outside she is afraid to go on leash (because you can see her!). She may start to go behind a chair (can’t see her) or in a part of the house where you don’t spend a lot of time (basement, spare bedroom, etc).

If you continue to have problems, don’t fear – Just contact me!
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Giene Keyes

Giene Keyes is the owner of Moon Dog Training, LLC, providing positive in-home training, behavior consultations and group classes. After receiving “Best of Madison'' multiple years in a row, Giene sold her dog daycare to focus on her dog behavior work. Giene has been working with pets and their owners for over 30 years. She is a professional animal trainer and behavior specialist in Southern Wisconsin. Giene divides her time between teaching group classes and private lessons – Specializing in manners and aggression cases. Giene works with vets, rescue groups and shelters, evaluating dogs for adoption, developing Canine Aggression Management Programs, and educating staff on dog language and behaviors. She consults for dog daycares and training companies by educating staff on dog body language, cues, managing a pack, difficult dogs and much more. She provides behavior consultations for service dog organizations and rescue groups in the Midwest. She has been an Instructor with the American Red Cross in Pet CPR and First Aid, a Certified Canine Good Citizen Evaluator with the American Kennel Club, and a Licensed Judge with the WI Dept of Ag, Trade & Consumer Protection. Giene is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer. She routinely presents seminars on dog behavior and training, as well as chicken training seminars to promote team building. Giene has been a regular guest on popular Madison radio shows and evening newscasts. Giene has also been featured in numerous local magazines, including the cover for Wisconsin Woman. Giene is a published author (see her Chicken Training Book!) and loves demonstrating to people how clever dogs, chickens and pigs can be.