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Introduction
If there is one single reason that puts people off adopting a dog, it is housebreaking. All new dog owners suffer the anxiety of housebreaking to some degree. Even those who have been through it already equate it to nothing short of hell. It may be true enough that this is a tough period to get through, but it really does not have to be so bad if you rigorously apply the following tips.
Good luck! It is worth it, you will see!
Put his nose in it!
Lots of people think that if their dog pees all over the living room an effective way to curb him is to put his nose in it. It actually has the opposite effect. By putting your dog's nose in it, you are teaching him to recognize the spot as well as conditioning him to the smell. Whoops!
Spank him with a rolled up newspaper!
Dogs do not read. Period. All you're doing is teaching him that you are dangerous to be around because at any moment you are likely to whack him FOR NO REASON. Whoops!
Do not give your dog free access to food and water! Oftentimes people apply the techniques they used on their cats on their dogs. If you read our section on training, you will understand the importance of food for a dog. Once your dog is housebroken and trained, you can move on to this instruction. If you control what goes in, you control what comes out!
A dog's digestive system is like a timer. A dog relieves himself:
• When he wakes up;
• After drinking or eating;
• After playing.
A dog can hold it in about 1 ½ hours per month of age, and 2 to 3 hours at night!
This means that a 2-month-old dog has the ABILITY to hold it in 2-3 hours a day and 5 -6 hours at night (or when he's sleeping). So, if you cannot be home at noon during the first months, you will have to resort to paper training. Otherwise, we prefer by far using a crate.
A dog prefers to go in the same spot
Once his odour is established in a certain area, the dog will return to that same place to do his business. That is why it is so important to clean and disinfect really well when your dog soils in the house.
Choose a sensible place!
The place you choose should feature the following:
• Close to where the dog will be when he has to go (puppies cannot wait)
• Easy to find (for the same reason as above)
• Easy access (small puppies will not be able to negotiate a flight of stairs)
Careful! When housebreaking starts, do not be too fussy about where the dog does his business. At the beginning of the training, as long as your dog goes outdoors, consider it a success.
Never let him see you picking up after him!
Doing this encourages him to do the same. For dogs, this means: "My leader picks up his pooh. So I should imitate him if I want to grow up to be a leader just like him." The thing is, we have hands and dogs do not. All they have is their mouth. You risk encouraging coprophagia, the eating of feces.
Use a lemon-based cleaner
Many cleaners are lemon-based. Pick one that does not contain ammonia or derivatives because dogs perceive it as urine. Reward him as soon as he goes in the right spot! Every time your dog goes in the right spot (outdoors or on the paper), reward him with chicken, cheese or sausage. Avoid dry food because the idea is too make the moment as memorable as possible. A bit of dry food is not terribly exciting is it?
Don't let your dog out of your sight for the first 24 hours!
The less the dog soils in the house, the quicker he will learn. Do not scold your dog if he manages to go behind your back. It is up to you to keep an eye on your dog. If it happens, take the dog away from the scene of the crime and clean up. With small puppies, it is often hard to tell that they are squatting to pee. So as soon as you see him sniffing the ground and turning in circles, BEWARE! He is about to urinate or defecate. Approach him slowly and do the following.
Reprimand all misbehaviour!
If the dog does his business and you see him, do the following:
• Lift him quickly up in the air and growl at him. That's right. Growl! This will probably stifle the urge to go. And move quickly towards the designated area. He has to learn that the entire house is off limits;
• Put him down in the designated area and wait. As soon as he is done, praise him enthusiastically. Do not be shy. Growling may make you feel silly, but just remember that this is exactly what his mother would do to keep him from nursing when his teeth start coming in.
It is very important that you follow these five rules very carefully so that you are as clear as possible. It may happen that your puppy is going to think that you are scolding him for squatting so try not to laugh when he does his business in mid-stride. Patience, consistency and perseverance.
Conclusion
The message your dog must receive is: "If I do my business anywhere in the house, something unpleasant is going to happen: I get lifted off the ground and growled at. However, if I relieve myself outdoors (in the right place), it is great because I get a treat. That is what we call positive reinforcement.
Before you start, read the section called Using the Crate.
Is this approach right for everyone?
We prefer using this technique over paper because it requires the dog to use his sphincters to hold it in. It means you have to take him out of the crate before it is too late. So it is a suitable method for dog owners who can be home at lunchtime to take the dog outdoors. If not, you really are better off using paper.
Limit the room inside the cage
If your puppy was with his mom between the age of 4 and 8 weeks, he will know better than to soil his bed. And we can use this to our benefit. Place a piece of wood or some other form of barrier in the crate to confine the puppy to his sleeping area, it should be just big enough for him to turn around (about 2 feet square).
When it is time to do his business, take him out to the designated spot and praise him generously if he goes. You can then let him back in the house. Otherwise, take the puppy back into this crate and give him a toy to play with. Wait 10 minutes and then take him back out again. Keep this up until he finally goes.
Here is the sequence:
• The puppy is loose in the house;
• After an hour, take the dog out; if he goes, praise him and let him loose in the house;
• If he does not go, put him back in his cage for 10 minutes, then start over.
Who is this technique suitable for?
People who work all day and cannot go home for lunch. It consists in restricting the puppy's free space to one room, with the floor completely covered in newsprint.
Objective
The objective is to teach the puppy to do his business on a decreasing size of paper. Gradually, the the remaining paper is moved towards the door and eventually outside.
Step 1: Soak the paper with the puppy's urine
This should not be too hard considering how much a puppy likes to pee
Step 2: Cover the designated area with paper
Choose a spot where the flooring is not porous. Ceramic tile or linoleum works well. Cover the area completely with paper. Given that the puppy will rip up all the paper, why not make it easy on yourself and rip the paper into long strips. This way, the feces will stick to the paper instead of the puppy, ie, he will still be recognizable when you get home.
Step 3: Replace soiled paper
After the puppy has done his business, remove the dirty paper, but make sure to leave a small amount of urine. The puppy will seek out the smell next time he has to go.
When to put the puppy in his room?
Everytime you cannot keep an eye on him. That is, when you are at home but busy or when you leave the house. Consult the section on anxiety and separation for tips on how make departures go smoothly.
These are the steps to follow:
• The dog is under surveillance at home;
• After an hour, put on the puppy on the paper; as soon as he goes, praise him and let him run loose in the house.
That's right! There's even a section on doggy toilets!
It is true that our dogs bring us tremendous pleasure and entertainment, but picking up after them is a thankless task that we would gladly do without. Regardless, here is an account of one of our dog owners of how he approaches the task.
1) Find an appropriate place
An area 12 sq. ft. (12 x 12) provides ample room. Given that it has to be kept shovelled in winter, think about somewhere easy to get to.
2) Rule no. 1: good drainage
We are often we're tempted to use a place where the lawn does not grow. If not, remove the sod along with 12 inches of dirt. Lightly dust the area with active lime (Caution: There are two kinds of lime: one used to trace court lines and active lime that is activated when it comes into contact with water. Use gloves when you apply it). Fill the trench 2/3 of the way with ¾ inch crushed stone. Fill the last ¼ with fine stone (1/4 should do). (Photo no 1). The small stone will stick to the feces, making it easier to pick up. Here is the final result! (Photo no 2).
During the winter season, the ice and snow alter the drainage. Covering up with a garage keep the drainage all year long, making the clean-up a "piece of cake" plus no more shufflering. The garage realy worth the 149$ spending. (Photo no 3)
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| Photo no.1 |
Photo no.2 |
Photo no.3 |
2) Rule no. 2: good tools
Use a plastic child's rake to rake feces into a dust bucket (Photo no 3). The advantage here is it can be covered up with a regular grocery bag (Photo no 4).
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| Photo no.3 |
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Photo no.4 |
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