House Training Guide: Part 1. 12/06/09
This guide shows you how to potty train your puppy quickly and effectively.
- House Training Guide: Part 1.
- House Training Guide: Part 2.
- How do I house train my puppy in an apartment?
House training must be the most important task to train to your new puppy. Nobody wants an adult dog urinating in the house but fortunately the process is pretty simple. In this article I break down a simple training process that will allow you to train your puppy or adult dog to go to the bathroom in the appropriate place and on command.
How often should your puppy be let out?
As soon as you get home/ get up let your puppy out to potty immediately- give your puppy opportunities! Your puppy needs to go out every hour in the early stages of puppy training. Make sure you dog has been to the toilet before putting him to bed. Feed puppy your dog outside (most puppies need to go within minutes of eating/drinking).
How do I teach my puppy to ‘go potty’ when I want?
As your puppy squats to go to the toilet label the behaviour with a command. I use ‘busy’ when a puppy goes in the right place and then follow that up with a treat. If your puppy has an accident inside do not scold them simply pick them up and lead them outside and praise for finishing outside.
Should I tell my puppy off when it has an accident inside?
If you catch your puppy going whilst you are in the room, make a high pitched noise to distract and then pick your puppy up and rush outside they can finish their business outside. When you come home and find a mess, don’t chastise just pop your puppy outside (dogs don’t know what they are being punished for unless caught in the act). All chastising your puppy will do is cause your puppy to fear going to the toilet in front of you. This means when you take your puppy outside to go it will not want to go with you watching. Clean thoroughly with a non ammonia based product, as ammonia will encourage your puppy to repeat the accident in the same area.
Should I crate train my puppy?
Buy a large and airy crate for your puppy to keep cool and relaxed in.
Crate training is a great idea if used properly. You need to make sure the whole of the crate is covered in bedding as dogs are reluctant to go on their own bed. However, a puppy must learn to love its crate and not see it as a punishment.
Should I use puppy potty training pads?
I used to use newspaper for toilet training my puppies, until I discovered puppy training pads. They have a scent that encourages your puppy to toilet on them and they absorb the urine so there is no nasty residue all over your floor. Basically like a fold out nappy / diaper.
Simple Solution Economy Puppy Training Pads (US)
You can also buy them in the UK made by the RSPCA
RSPCA Puppy Training Pads – Pack of 40.
What should I do once my puppy has toileted in the right place?
When you take your puppy out, do not rush him or her back inside as soon as they have been. If you do take your puppy straight back in it will teach them to hold on longer as they will know peeing quickly means outside time is over. So once your pup has been to the toilet, spend a little time outside giving him or her affection.
Keeping it clean
If you don’t fancy putting all of your dogs mess in with your rubbish then you can now buy dog loo’s. They generally come with a solution that helps degrade the poop quickly and stops the awful smell.
Good Boy Clean Green Dog Loo.
Just remember we have all had to go through this at one point or another it’s just a simple fact of being a puppy owner. If you stick to these very simple rules you should see great results in around two weeks!
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22 Responses to this article
How do you stop puppies from marking after they are (mostly) house trained? My puppy is 5 months, and she recently began going to two different corners of the house to mark, both by doors. She’ll go outside and pee, and come in and mark moments later, so I know it isn’t a bladder control issue. Help!
Do you have another dog in the house or dogs to visit? Dogs can scent mark due to competition. Another reason is that they are feeling generally insecure so make sure you are giving her all she needs, plenty of walks, training and play.
As for stopping it spaying her when she is old enough will usually eliminate the behaviour. For now though take an empty plastic bottle, fill with some coins or stones and seal with tape. When you see her sniffing or circling in that area shake the bottle to make a negative association between marking and the noise. Then take her outside (as you would do with house training) and allow her to go, praising her etc.
You could also put kitchen foil over the area so when she pee’s on it, it will make an unpleasant sound.
You need to monitor her and confine if you are not around until you break the habit.
Hi Louise
I feel really bad because we’ve done everything wrong with this puppy… and yet, she was housetrained (she’s a seven month old Malamute). We keep her in a run in the garden during the day, when we’re working (we’re in and out of the house during the day), make sure we walk her at least twice a day, and all love her. However two nights ago she soiled in the middle of the night. I didn’t get cross, just picked it up and cleaned up. But then she soiled again, just before morning. I was cross (my son was ill, he stepped in it, I whacked the dog…). I waited out with her in the driving rain for half an hour last night but she didn’t go and guess what, this morning, I woke up and she’d soiled twice. I was really cross. I did slap her back and tell her to get out. I’m not proud of it. But I know that was wrong and I just don’t want to wake up every day to this. I don’t know if she’s got worms. I imagine you’re going to say, stand outside with her at night until she goes. We feed her twice a day, morning and evening. So we fed her earlier last night than normal to try to avoid the problem. I imagine you’re going to say I should stop hitting her – but I almost never do, I really do know it’s not helpful, and I really do everything in my power to keep my temper but it’s pressured, with kids, and trying to work. So… help???
Thanks
Lucy
I don’t think you have done everything wrong with your pup. It sounds like you have become stressed out and she has picked up on this. It may have started as an accident which is fairly common for dogs around this age and accidents do happen. When you punished her for going this can cause a negative association between elimination and you. So now when you take her out to go potty she is reluctant to go with you around. So I would actually recommend putting her out and watching from a window. When she goes throw a treat out to her and praise to build up a positive association again.
Remember the more frustrated you get the more likely it is to happen and hitting her is only going to make matters worse. So avoid any reprimand and if you feel stressed just put her outside for a few minutes whilst you count to ten. We have all been there and it is so frustrating, especially when other things are going on. Also look at your environment any sudden changes – decoration, new houseguest can effect dogs and cause these kind of problems. She needs a strict routine to make her feel comfortable. The fact your son was ill may well be the sole cause of this so you must now work hard not to allow it to become a problem of its own.
Hi Louise,
Hope you can help me.
I got a little 10 week old beautiful border terrier (called Madge) earlier this week and am trying to toilet train her. We live on a first floor flat so rushing her outside immediately is quite difficult if you take into account the time it takes to pick her up, open the front door, get downstairs, open the main door (which is always double locked) and then get out through the neighbour’s front garden to the road. Also, I’ve been told by the vet not to take her outdoors until all of her vaccinations have been completed.
So, I am trying to train her using puppy pads (ones which apparently have a scent in to encourage her to use them) with little success. My idea is that I’ll gradually move them closer to the front door so that she’ll eventually be trained to go and wait by the door when she needs to go out and I can take her.
If she’s not trying to chew them, she’ll occasionally go and poop or pee on them (or more often, near them).. She pees a lot on the carpet but they are tiny dribbles (compared to her bigger pees which I always transfer her to the matt to do).. By the time i’ve noticed she’s squatting and got to her, her little dribble is over and she’s playing again. I read that these types are more out of excitement than need.
If she does a poop, then I’ll try to lift her and get her on the matt as quickly as possible (a few times she’s done them when I’m out of the room though and away from the matt).. I feel like I’m not getting anywhere with her.. I often find that she’ll start sniffing so I shove her on the matt and then she starts trying to run off thinking I’m playing,.. then she’ll wander off it, start to squat or poop and I have to lift her back on and hold her down which I don’t think is a good thing. I do praise her and give her a treat when she’s done her business.
In the night, I take her into the living room when she whimpers and place her on the matt and last night, she was good and did it all in the right place. A couple of times, I’ve left her alone in her crate (without making a fuss) for an hour or so so she gets used to being alone and I leave the room and ignore her cries but she’s peed in the crate when i get back..
Any help with the toilet training thing is very gratefully received. There is so much conflicting info out there but the thing about taking her outdoors is completely impractical for me right now because of the length of time it takes to actually get outside.
Thanks,
Phil
I take her over t
It is a tricky situation trying to toilet train in a flat. First of all i would have a fair few pads down to increase the surface area for her to go on which should help with the near the pad toileting. Is her crate completely covered by bedding or does she actually go in the corner of it etc.? This is important as if you cover the crate with bedding she will be less likely to go. You should have her in the crate, then take her to the pads to give her opportunity to go. If she does not go its straight back into the crate but if she does go then she is allowed to wander around the flat and play. You have to be pretty strict with this. It can also help with regards to taking her outside. She may also be more comfortable with a large cat litter tray and the surface is different to carpets etc and it can make things that little bit more clear than the pads. Also, as horrible as it sounds try to leave a pad down with a little pee on it to encourage her to go there. You may have noticed dogs tend to get one spot and go there, this is generally because they can detect there scent and it gives them the green light to go in this area.
As for the accidents and you scooping her up to take her over to the pad you are doing the right thing and perseverance is the only way so just keep going with that and don’t get annoyed when she does it as she is only a baby. There has been research that indicates DAP dog appeasing pheromone can help with toilet training also.
I’m trying to train my APBT puppy to go potty outside, but it’s a bad time of year for the east coast. It’s often windy, cold, wet and raining. He does okay on the nice days, but he is only 8 weeks old and when the weather is bad he will stare and me, shiver, and whine to go back inside. Then I’ll put him to bed only to discover poop in the morning!
What am I supposed to do? I’ve kept him out there for 15+ minutes but he hates it. Last night when I tried to take him outside he jumped away from his collar and peed on the carpet right in front of me. I picked him up and shook him a little out of frustration.. I felt like he knew his collar meant we were going outside to potty, and he directly disobeyed me by peeing right there on the spot. I’ve tried holding an umbrella over him, but it’s not working out very well..
I don’t know what else to try, short of buying him a puppy sweater.. Although I’m really not one of those people that enjoys dressing up their dogs.
Some days are nice.. so I don’t know if I should be taking him inside right after he goes, or letting him hang out for a couple of minutes.. being outside for him seems more like a punishment than a place to get rewards.. And it looks like the weather is only going to get worse this week. Thanks!
Well it sounds like he has anxiety with regard to being outside which is going to make potty training tricky. Have you tried a gazebo, this may provide shelter, however, if it is windy they can be noisy which won’t help. What I would work on is crate training and making a positive association with the outside. Use treats to lure him outside instead of leading him by the collar. Feed him all of his meals outside and begin socialising him as much as possible, giving food treats whenever he looks comfortable. When the days are nice have a good game with him outside. He needs to learn that being out there is great fun.
Try not to take him back inside when he whines at you as this creates attention seeking behaviour. If he has not been outside its straight back into his crate for ten minutes then another attempt outside. (you have to be quick taking them back out as an accident in his crate will undo your hard work).
Hi There,
We have just got an 8 week old Goldendoodle pup, I am house training her at the moment using a crate when not supervised and taking her out regularly. She is clean all night 7 hours or so and goes outside usually straight away when we take her. I have been trying to give her treats when she goes outside but she does not always seem particularly interested in the treats (have tried 2 different ones) – I wanted to really reward her for this and have give her lots of praise but sometimes she’ll be off playing as soon as finished. Will this affect her making a positive association with going outside?
I have had some success with treats – for come & sit but not really when peeing or pooing!
Any advice?
Thanks
C
Well, its sounds like you are doing really really well with her. I would not worry too much about the reinforcement if she is going in the right places and holding it for long. You will find that just being vocal with the good girl can be enough for some dogs. Let her play about after for a while as the problems come when you take them inside immediately after as they can sometimes see that as a negative. If she does want to play more than have treats, have a special toy she gets after. It is exactly the same process with the same reinforcement system and she should thrive.
If you do want to pursue treats have you tried hot dog? Any warmed up meat should get her interested. I am very impressed at your puppy training progress, I am sure she will do well! Congrats!
Thanks will keep going with her as we are it does seem to be working
thanks
C
I got a puppy recently that wasn’t planned (someone gave him to me). The lady at the vet says he is a Heinz 57 maybe about 8 wks by now.
I have multiple problems with housetraining.
1. I have arthritis, so my dog can squat, do his thing, and walk away from it faster than I can get up off the couch.
2 I live upstairs, so like the guy in the flat, I have issues getting him outside.
3. I live in an apartment complex, and I am afraid of taking my dog outside without a leash for fear that he will run away. Also, afraid of tying him up outside and leaving him there since my neighbors are rather awful people.
I have tried to take him out with a leash, but then he thinks that he is going for a walk and takes off like a bullet.
Hi Diane.
Lots of people have problems when trying to house-train their puppy in an apartment, so you are not alone. I would actually recommend using a cat litter and lining it with
Puppy Training Pads so that your puppy has an emergency spot to go in. Pup’s can’t hold their bladders for long so it would be better for him to have spot where if he was desperate he could go in, without creating a mess.
I would also recommend keeping him on a long leash, around the house so that when he squat you can pick up the leash (stopping you from having to rush over quickly) and interrupt the behaviour. This will also help you when every time you put a leash on him he thinks he is going for a walk. If he wears it around the house it will be no big deal to him when you pick it up and take him outside. I think you are right to be cautious about taking him out off leash or leaving him outside. It may also be beneficial to you to see if there are any local dog walkers to you, that can also train your puppy to relax on the leash.
I am currently in the middle of a new post on house training in an apartment and I am hoping it should be up today or tomorrow which will give you much more insight into what I mean with regard to the indoor toileting. I would love to see a picture of him if you can send it to me, to see if I can give you any clues as to what he may be crossed with? It’s great to know as much background information as you can, as each breed is very different.
Hi Louise,
I have a 15 week old shih ztu…. he is a lovely pup and up till now had done very well he had gone for a week without havin any accidents in the house and i leave the back door open for him and he would go out himself to poo/wee and i would wait for him to come back in and give him fuss and a treat for this but now his started doing his buiness in the house again and not even in any one or few places its everywhere and anywhere, we dont have any other dogs round and the only people that really visit is my parents which he has seen alot of since we got him he walks away from it doing that thing with his back legs as if wiping his feet and seems really quiet proud, if i catch him in the act i do as you say and make a noise to get his attention and quickly take him outside to finish but dispite this he still continues to mess in the house i’m getting really frustrated with him now as i have a 5 yr old son and 2 yr old daughter and the pup is having to have more attention then them at the moment as i am constanly watching him, its starting to make me feel a little bit of edge if that makes sence, he will not mess when we go out for walks and does not mess during the night or if we go out in the day we come back to a clean kitchen so he is good in that sence…. sorry for going on so long and hope you can shed some light on this for us! regards..Kate
It is pretty common for pup’s to have a bit of a relapse in their toilet training. I would pop him down to the vets and drop off a pee sample for analysis (just in case, as trying to fix medical problems with behavioural modification is a bit pointless). However, given the fact that he is clean when you are out and overnight it does indicate the possibility of attention seeking. This may also be likely if you have too young children who maybe giggle or make a fuss when he goes inside, all of which shifts the focus onto the puppy. I would stop making the noise to distract him as this may well be giving him the attention that he craves and when he goes do not make eye contact or any noise, just pick him up and pop him out as usual. Also just use gentle praise if you have had to stop him mid flow but keep up with the big treats when he goes out of choice in the garden. Also keep him out of the room whilst you clean up any mess and try not to make big deals out of his toileting indoors as it may be reinforcing the inappropriate behaviour. Try this for a week and get back to me as there is a possibility it could be health or stress related.
Hi Louise. Your advice seems great, so I hope you can help. I just adopted a 12 week old lab/border collie/??. For the last two days he’s been amazing at going outside. The odd accident was only because I couldn’t get myself out the door fast enough. I walked him every hour or two, and every 4 hours at night, and he would go. Now, however, the vet told me I can’t walk him because he has one more round of shots. Since I can’t walk him, he won’t go outside. I take him just in front of the building and wait and he won’t go, we go back inside and he pees. He pooed inside for the first time today. Any advice on nipping this right away? When he went inside I just said “no” and took him outside, but he’s sensitive to the “no”s. Have I made him afraid to go in front of me? or is it positive reinforcement for going inside that he gets to go back outside? Thanks for your help.
Hi Louise, It’s me again. I just got back from the vet who terrified me and told me my puppy shouldn’t go out of doors for 5 more weeks! (3 until his 3rd parvo, and wait 2 weeks after). My 13 wk old pup was doing really well on toilet training and is used to going outside now. He won’t use a puppy pad in the apartment. Any advice (or thoughts on this vet?) Thanks.
Hi Laurel,
It is true that your puppy shouldn’t be mixing with other dogs (unless you know them and they are healthy and vaccinated) and vets have to be pretty cautious about this. I am quite surprised that they have said 5 weeks though, it is usually 2, however, this is dependant upon what vaccinations he has been given specifically and i would not like to doubt your vet. I would be tempted to call another local vet just to ask them what their policy is and detail to them the shots he has had. If you have been walking him for toileting, when you go and stand in front of the building he may now be unsure as to what you want. If he is sensitive you can stop saying ‘no’ or making a loud noise, just try and be gentle, pick him up and take him out. I would go back to reinforcing the toileting behaviour but outside your building using extra special treats. I am afraid it is all about perseverance at this stage and shaping (changing) the behaviour that he has already learnt which is to hold out for walks. Are you crating him when he is unattended? This way as soon as you get him out of the crate he should be ready to go so you can take him out and he will want to go immediately (in front of the building). It sounds like you are very dedicated and have a great schedule so I wouldn’t go down the puppy pad route any way. It is just going to be a case of standing in front of your building for a while. Use a long leash so he can wander a bit (this tends to stimulate them to go any way). You can even put a wooden post up that he can pee near which will hold his smell and encourage him to go there next time. Also when he has been stay out for 5 minutes so that he doesn’t learn ‘going’ means outside time is over or he will learn to hold it just to stay out and about. Let me know how you get on.
Thanks Louise. He’s gotten better at peeing in front of the building, and since I wrote, he’s sort of getting used to puppy pads. I wish I didn’t go that route though, because now he goes inside a lot more. The issue now is pooing. He only wants to do that inside. Do you suggest I try to get him to go outside again? How? I feel so bad for confusing my really good, smart puppy. On top of it, he has a parasite and he’s had a fever, so I’ve been trying to not stress him.
Is the long leash safe? The vet seemed adamant that he not even go outside. I’ve decided this is cruel to my pup, but I’m very careful about where he sniffs (as dog poo and standing water are dangerous for him.)
Re: crate training – I got him a crate 3 days ago and it’s in our bedroom with the door open. He eats his meals in there, but sleeps on our bed. Today I will try filling a kong with treats and closing the door for 5 minutes, and following your crate training guide. Might this help with the pooing inside too? (He actually peed in there once two days ago, maybe because he doesn’t sleep there?) Thanks so much Louise!
Hi again
Yes, you are doing the right thing with the crate training, but he should be sleeping in there too. This way when he is unsupervised he will be less likely to ‘go’ in there but accidents do happen, just make sure you give it a thorough clean and that it is full of bedding and a small bowl of water.
What did the vet say about the parasite? Do you have any friends on lower floors with a yard space they wouldn’t mind you using? This way you can know he is safe. It’s a tricky situation but I think you need to persevere with outside. If he is on a long leash you can still control where he goes and keep him in a ’safe zone’.
It may be that he is not being kept out for long enough re; pooing, as this can take some time. Does he have a strict eating routine? If he is fed on a high quality dry food at specific times during the day you should be able to get an idea of the times he wants to go, as high quality food should make him more regular.
hello i’ve got a little problem with my 9 week old german shepherd puppy with house training my door is always open through out the day he will do all his poos outside apart from at night but sometimes he will do his wees inside even with the door open he will come in do a wee then go back out i only allow him in the passage way which is by the door to the garden that is also where he sleep with my other dog i dont want to crate train him but i need him to do his wees outside when door is open also how can i teach him to hold it longer as everytime i get up there is loads of wees and poos on the floor so plz give me advise thanks
I am afraid as for holding his wee it’s just going to take time as his bladder grows with him. You can try feeding him on dry dog food as wet food has a high water content. Are you using high value treats when he goes outside ie. meat or cheese. It sounds like you are doing really well for just 9 weeks and it will take a while before he is completely clean inside as they cannot ‘hold it’ for long until about 4 months.