Housebreaking a new puppy can be challenging, especially if you have other dogs in the house. If your dogs are already trained, you’ll be happy to know they won’t get in the way of housebreaking the new pupper; they may give you a hand instead.

To housetrain a new dog, you need to have a lot of patience, a crate, and a basketload of treats. Puppies can make mistakes, so be ready to accept and move on with the training. Getting angry and scolding or punishing your pup will only make the experience more distressing for him and you. With that said, here’s how to successfully potty-train your new puppy while making the training a pleasant experience for the both of you.

Be Consistent with Your Feeding Schedule

Dogs usually defecate 5 to 30 minutes after their meal, and they’re pretty good at keeping this schedule as long as you follow yours too. You can anticipate when they need to go outside by feeding them on time.

Take out your puppies first thing in the morning, every hour, after every meal, after waking up from a nap, and before going to bed. These are the times when your pup will most likely urinate or defecate.

If you can’t take your puppy outside all the time to do his business, keep him confined in a pen. Prepare a designated spot, away from his bed, water, and food. For his spot, try to simulate the surface outdoors so he can get used to the texture outdoors.

Make Training a Positive Experience

Prepare lots of healthy, delicious treats. Quick treats are usually best for training use, but you can also give your pup long-lasting chews as a reward and to keep him busy.

Keep your puppy on a leash, and take him to the same spot to do his business whenever you go outside. Praise, pet, or give him a treat when he successfully does his business outside.

Puppies love to explore new places, so you can go ahead and walk around the neighborhood to make the training more pleasant and fun for them. Plus, a tired puppy is also a behaved one.

How to Use a Crate for Housebreaking

If you can’t keep an eye on your puppy all the time, use a crate to help with potty training. Puppies shouldn’t be kept in a crate for more than two hours at a time, and they shouldn’t use their kennel as their bathroom.

  • First, make sure the crate is the right size for your puppy to move around but not leave enough space for him to defecate there. Dogs don’t usually urinate or defecate where they sleep.

  • Make the create as comfortable for your puppy as possible. Equip it with a cozy doggy bed, a blanket, water, and his favorite toys to make staying in his crate a delightful experience for him.

  • Don’t leave your puppy inside the crate for more than two hours. Take him outside to defecate and go for a walk too. Play with him outside the crate.

  • To know when your puppy needs to do his business, feed him inside the crate, and wait until he communicates to you when you need to go then bring him outside immediately.

The Takeaway

Training is one of the best bonding experiences you have with your dog. It’s supposed to be very rewarding for you both.

Keep in mind that training doesn’t take effect after one session or even after several sessions. It takes consistent practice and a whole lot of patience to teach your puppy how to potty outside and other desirable behaviors.

 

Written by Guest Writer Emma Nolan