First step to house training your puppy
Teach your puppy where to toilet. Choose somewhere outdoors with easy access and always return to the same spot. You can read our full guide on toilet training your puppy but the key is the more familiar the puppy gets with your chosen location the more likely it will be to return there later on. A good way to reinforce your location is to praise your puppy when it finishes going in that spot, while if you see your pup sniffing the spot before toileting then give it some light praise for it to know it is in the right place.
Puppy mealtimes and toileting
Firstly, controlling when your puppy eats will also give you at least some control on when it will go to the toilet. Secondly controlling your puppy’s feeding schedule will help in house training because the dog will know when it gets to eat and will not be looking for food or causing trouble.
Puppy’s usually urinate and/or defecate within an hour of eating, so with that in mind it is best to avoid giving your dog a large meal before it goes into its space for the night. Food should be given two or three times a day but should not be left out, instead if the food is still there after 30-minutes; remove it. The last meal of the day should be no less than three hours before bed.
After feed time you should take your puppy outside to play and toilet (in its usual location), this will further accustom your new dog to a routine of when it can and cannot do certain activities.
Avoiding puppy house training mistakes
While you will always be looking to stop your puppy toileting indoors, the inconvenient truth is that accidents happen. Until the time comes when the puppy is housetrained you will need to keep a close eye on its activity, again we have a full in-depth article on this subject that is well worth a read. Of course, it is not always possible to supervise your puppy and you may have to leave the house without it.
In these cases, you should leave your dog in its confined space in your house. It should be the same small place where you leave it at night, but make sure it is enough space for the dog to toilet and have several feet to lie away from its waste. The space should be easily cleaned and confined from the rest of the house. Spend time in the area with your puppy so that it does not associate the area as a bad place.
Avoiding repeat puppy accidents
If a puppy accidently toilets in a specific area then it may happen that it will return to that spot. If this happens you should clean the area with an effective commercial product and if necessary you should close off the area where it keeps going to. If this is failing then try placing a dog toy, water bowl, or another familiar item in the area where it keeps toileting as the dog is unlikely to want to toilet around something it uses regularly. Find out more dogs toys online from Vet Products Direct.
Keep calm training your dog
Shouting and striking your dog is not going to work when house training. Check out our article on positive disciplining and understand that it is best to ignore any mishaps. If you catch the dog in the act, let it finish before taking it outside to its usual spot.
During the night you will want to give your puppy somewhere safe and comfortable to sleep. Its little area within your house could contain heat pads that give your new friend a nice cosy place to sleep. Check out for more dog beds from Vet Products Direct