How can I housetrain my new puppy?
1. Most puppies are instinctively clean when in their bed.2. The puppy should be in his crate: (1) at night, (2) when no one is at home, and (3) when someone is at home but does not have the time to strictly supervise his freedom. Puppies need and must have a lot of time out of the crate and a lot of socialization and handling. However, he must gradually earn the privilege of freedom and this will come with diligent supervision on your part and confinement when no supervision is possible.
3. When taking your puppy outside to the bathroom, always go with him, sometimes on a leash and sometimes off-leash (using a "key" word such as "out," "potty," etc., each time you take him to the door). Take him to the same area of the yard each time. A puppy tends to go to the bathroom in an area where he can smell that he has gone before.
4. There are certain times when a puppy must be taken outside to the bathroom: (1) on first awakening, about 20 minutes after each meal, (2) after an active play period, (3) after a nap, (4) the last thing before going to bed, and (5) any time you see him sniffing the floor and circling.
5. Supervised freedom is next in importance and the step on which most people fail. Just because, with confinement and regular trips outside, your puppy hasn't had an accident in the house for several days does NOT mean that he is ready to be turned loose in the house.
6.Your aim, through confinement and supervised freedom, it is to PREVENT the puppy from having an accident rather than to correct him after he has had one. If you find an accident on the floor--it is your fault--you weren't watching him. Clean it up and don't correct the puppy. Use a mixture of white vinegar and water to neutralize the odor after you clean it up. Test the mixture on a small spot of carpet first for color fastness.
7. If your puppy has been in the crate for a long period of time and cries to get out, immediately respond to his first cry and take him outside. On the other hand, if he has just been put into the crate and you know that he doesn't have to go to the bathroom, ignore his commands or command him to be quiet. DO NOT take him out of the crate when he is whining for no reason. You will be rewarding him for bad behavior if you do.
8. If you must leave your puppy alone all day while you are at work, a slightly different approach is used. A very young puppy cannot be expected to control himself all day. He must be given a place where he can properly go to the bathroom. DO NOT turn your puppy loose in a room. Pen him in a small area that is large enough for his bed and a space that can be covered by a double sheet of newspaper--bed and bath.
9. Some puppies develop their own method of alerting you when they need to go out, and others simply stand at the door "hoping" someone will see them. Your puppy can learn to alert you of his need by teaching him to find you and lead you to the door. When you see him standing at the door, call him away and ask him if he wants to go "out" (use key word), then hurry to the door with him and let him out. Each time this occurs, stand further from him when you call him. In a short time, the puppy will come LOOKING for you when he has to go out and lead you to the door.
Another method is to tie a small bell on a string, hang it on the doorknob with reach of the puppy's paw. Each time the puppy goes out, take his paw and hit the bell, PRAISE and let him out. Soon the puppy will automatically ring the bell to go out.
