A new puppy takes time to housebreak. The process is almost like the way a little child grows up and learns certain habits. A dog or a puppy is no different. It will also learn little by little over the course of time. However, the time it takes to housebreak a dog differs. It can take a month or up to a year. Training a dog requires patience, time and consistency. The more consistent you are, the faster your dog will be trained. Here are some basic tips and guidelines for successfully housebreaking a dog.
- Make a comfortable crate: Experts advise that a puppy should be kept confined to a crate or a definite space. Keep your dog in a crate for a few hours during the day and for sleep at night. Make it comfortable for the dog with necessary things like blanket, bedding, dog toys, etc.
- Fix a certain time for feeding: Feed your dog daily at certain times. Dogs need food three to four times a day. Establish a time for feeding so that you can predict when and how often you need to take it out for toilet. Feed once in the morning after waking up, once at night, and another time near mid-day.
- Select a suitable place for eliminating: Outside your house, pick a bathroom spot for the dog. Take it there every time for eliminating. The dog will slowly learn that it cannot eliminate inside the house; it has to go to that place. As you take him to that certain place every time for to do his business, the scent of the place will remind him to eliminate. Also, use a verbal cue of your choice every time when it is relieving so that the dog learns it; then, you can use those words to remind the dog to eliminate.
- Take the dog outside frequently: Take your dog out every one or two hours except at night. Little puppies cannot hold their bladder for a long time, and even adult ones need to pee every two to three hours. After waking up, having meals and playing, take the dog outside and walk to the bathroom spot.
- Take the water dish before bedtime: One or two hours prior to bedtime, take away the dog's water dish. This will keep it from drinking more water and needing to relieve itself in the middle of the night.
- Understand your dog's signs: When you are at home, always observe your dog for signs. When your dog has to relieve itself, it will give signals. Barking, sniffing around the floor, behaving restless or keeping the tail in a strange position are a few signs that indicate it has to eliminate. If you see the dog showing any of these signs, immediately take it outside to the toilet spot.
- Reward it every time when it eliminates in its toilet spot: If your dog eliminates successfully outside on its own, reward it every time with praising and treats. Praise him with a friendly tone and pet him. This will help the dog to maintain the habit of eliminating in the designated toilet space.
- Do not punish or yell: If your dog makes a mistake or has an accident indoors, don't punish or scold it for that. Say nothing, and clean up after it. Yelling will make the little animal afraid of you and make the housebreaking process slower.
- Observe and record the dog's habits: Keep a track of the dog's habits. When you are home all day, between toilet and meal breaks, observe your pet thoroughly. Write down the time for its eating and eliminating. This will help you to understand how often you need to feed him and take him outside for relieving.
Follow all these guidelines stated above, and you can be sure that the dog will be successfully housebroken within a short period of time. These are some amazing ways to make a dog adapt to life with you quickly. Maintain the consistency, and see how fast your doggy gets habituated to its new lifestyle.