Top veterinarians, best-selling pet-care authors and other top pet-care experts are all part of the Pet Connection team. If you would like the newest, freshest weekly syndicated Pet Connection articles from the Universal Press Syndicate for your newspaper, publication or Web site, find out more here.

Consistent schedule is key to house-training puppies

By Gina Spadafori

published 01/03/1999

PRINT   |   Email to a Friend   |        

In January, the magic of Christmas wears off quickly. The bills come, the decorations must be hauled down and put away, and if you’re among those who adopted a puppy, you’re now wondering: How soon will this baby be house-trained?

• Puppy-parent, meet the crate. In recent years, the use of a shipping crate, available at any pet-supply store, to house-train puppies has become standard among knowledgeable trainers and breeders. Puppies need to relieve themselves after they wake up, eat or drink, or after a period of play, and they naturally prefer to do it away from their eating and sleeping areas. Use this knowledge to set up a schedule for molding proper behavior.

• First thing in the morning: Take your puppy out of the crate and coax him to follow you outside to the spot you have chosen for him to relieve himself. If he starts to relieve himself on the trip outside, tell him “no” firmly and take him to the part of your yard that you’ve chosen as the “relief zone.” Choose a command — “hurry up” is what I use — and praise him for going. Take him inside and give him food and water, then go outside again immediately: A full tummy puts pressure on a puppy’s bladder. Then give the command and praise him when he goes. At this stage he’s not really minding your command, but you’re associating the act with the words, which will come in handy in the future.

• If you’re going to work, put him back in the crate. If you’re not going to work, let him play for a couple of hours, but don’t give him full run of the house. Close doors or use baby gates to keep him where you can see him, such as in a kitchen/family room area. After an hour or two, take him outside again, and repeat the command and praise. He’ll be ready for a little nap, so put him in his crate until lunchtime.

• The midday break: Take your puppy out of the crate and head outside for another round of command, relieve and praise for a job well done. Then take him back inside for food and water, then back outside.

• If you’re home on your lunch hour, play with him a little before you put him back in his crate. If you’re going to be home with him, leave him out to play where you are, under your watchful eyes. Take him out in midafternoon, and then crate him for his afternoon nap.

• If you cannot come home for lunch, try to get a friend or neighbor to handle the midday break. If that’s not possible, set your puppy up in a safe area like the kitchen, and realize you’ll be cleaning up a mess when you get home. Don’t punish your puppy for the mess, because he can’t help it.

• Dinnertime: Same as midday. Take him out, feed him, take him out, and let him play. Leave him out for play and socializing in an area where you can watch him. Offer him a little water a couple of hours before bedtime, but no more food.

• Bedtime: One last trip outside. You may be tired and cranky at this point, but don’t let your puppy know it. Be consistent. Give your command, and after your puppy does what you want, praise like the dickens. Then bring your little angel inside and put him in his crate for the night. If he didn’t go in a few minutes when he was outside, put him in his crate anyway. You’ll be up again, soon enough.

• Middle of the night: For the first week or so, you may also have to add a wee-hours outing to the schedule. If he wakes up and fusses at 3 a.m, put your shoes on — you’re taking him out.

If you’re patient, positive and consistent, your puppy will start getting the idea right away, even if his body won’t allow him to be “perfect” for a few months. If he doesn’t seem to be getting the idea, talk to a trainer or behaviorist to figure out what the problem is and get the two of you back on track.