Facts & FAQ

                 


HouseBreaking

Housebreaking is the first form of training tried by most new puppy owners. Over the years we have found that the high percentage of failures in housebreaking are due to the lack of adequate knowledge by the owner rather that the inability of the dog to learn the task of being clean in his new environment.

Before we discuss the proper procedures to follow in housebreaking your new puppy, there are three(3) additional facts that you must be aware of:

  1. Make certain your puppy is in good physical health. A puppy who has worms or an upset intestinal tract cannot be expected to control his eliminations.
  3. Housebreaking is a procedure that most puppies under twelve weeks of age, we feel that the puppy moves out of the infant stage and is now not only physically, but mentally, ready for housebreaking.
  5. Starting a puppy who is younger than twelve weeks of age is excellent because it starts to set up the habit pattern; just remember not to get upset or frustrated when a puppy at this age makes mistakes.
  7. The last of these three facts is definitely the most important!
  9. The biggest threat to successive housebreaking is the way the owner corrects the puppy when it does have a accident in the house. We will relate our discussion to housebreaking even though it is very similar to the total correctional procedure for the dog.
  11. The owner must always remember that he is dealing with a baby.
  13. You must expect many mistakes in the beginning and with your patience and the correct method the pup will eventually learn what is expected of him.
  15. Do not hit the puppy! This will only make your puppy scared of you DO not stick his nose in his mistake! Your puppy cannot rationalize why you are doing this!

DO NOT FORGET YOUR PUPPY CANNOT RATIONALIZE LIKE A HUMAN BEING

An important fact to remember....The puppy must not associate the crate with any form of punishment. We are trying to teach him to like him to like his new little house.

The theme behind housebreaking is ......We are not going to give the puppy the opportunity to make any mistakes. When the puppy has an accident anywhere in the house, it is usually the owners fault rather than the puppy's. The preferred method for housebreaking is based in the concept of confinement. The most useful device to housebreaking your new puppy is the dog crate. Initially, the philosophy we will use is: When the puppy cannot be totally supervised, he is to be put in his crate so he cannot get into any trouble.

Many people refuse to use the cage method because they believe it is cruel. If this is the case, there is an alternative option. You need to designate a small area (appx. 3'x 3' or 4'x 4') especially if the puppy is to be left all day while both people work. You may use a small bathroom but usually ends up destroyed, which is not the puppies fault. The puppy will do much better if he is in an area that is in the open and not secluded. A corner of a kitchen or a hallway usually works best. Remember....all four sides must have enclosure so the do cannot get to the wall or baseboard

The last resort to help people who simply do not have time to work with the dog is the doggy door to the outside. This usually leads to outside problems unless the door goes out to an enclosed area rather than the entire yard.


Daily Routine

  1. The puppy will have to relieve himself as soon as he awakens, so try to get up earlier than the puppy. Let him out of his cage and immediately make him outside. Try not to play with him until he has relieved himself.


  2. Once he has relieved himself, give him some attention before bringing him inside, then put him back in his cage while you get ready for work, do chores, go back to bed, etc.


  3. As soon as you come back to the kitchen, feed your puppy then put him outside immediately Watch him to be sure he has gone to the bathroom. Then bring him back into the kitchen and let him stay with you while you eat breakfast.


  4. Before you leave for work, take the puppy outside and let him run around, play and possibly relieve himself once more. Your aim is to give the pup every opportunity to empty himself before he has to go back in the crate while you are gone.


  5. Make sure his collar is removed before he goes into his crate DO NOT leave any food water or toys in the cage with him.


  6. The time that each dog should be left in his cage will be discussed on an individual basis with your instructor.


  7. As soon as you return home, take the puppy outside to relieve himself immediately. Praise him excitedly if he relieves himself outside.


  8. Once you bring your puppy inside, he should be under your supervision or in his crate. Hopefully he will be out socializing since he has locked up all day.


  9. While your puppy is out of his cage, he should be taken out regularly. This will give him the opportunity to relieve himself. If the puppy gets a drink of water, wakes up from a nap, play heavily or just walks around nervously, take him out quickly.


  10. NO food or water after 6:00pm! If he plays heavily , give him only a taste or an ice cube.


  11. DO NOT let your puppy sleep all evening while you watch television because when you are ready to go to bed, the puppy will be rested and ready to play for hours.


  12. Take him out as late as possible to let him relieve himself for the last time. Then bring him in and put him in his cage for the night.

NOTE:  Placement of the cage is very important! We at the Training Center prefer the kitchen area for two reasons:

  • The kitchen usually has a lot of traffic. This will make the puppy feel less lonely while in his cage.

  • When we get to the stage of training when it is time to give the puppy his first room of freedom, he will already feel that the kitchen is his home. If he has an accident with this new freedom, the tile floor in the kitchen makes clean-up a lot easier.

Please note that your pet can be picked up and dropped off for a monetary fee.

Email us: nbgs@mindspring.com
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