The Housetraining Process

This process is based on the fact that dogs are animals that do not like to soil in or around their eating or sleeping areas. Therefore, the need for establishing a place for your dog to be confined will be your next mission. Select a small room in your home, such as your bathroom or kitchen, which for the time being will be used as your dog’s living area. Make sure that the floor is covered with paper or that it is a hardwood or tiled floor. Also have a crate or a blanket to be used as your dog’s bed. Spend as much time as possible in this room with your dog. You can tether your dog to prevent him from getting out or secure him in the crate. Remember, however, that you should never leave a leashed dog unattended, therefore you will either have to stay there with your dog or you can also take him everywhere you need to go. The main purpose of this is to train your dog to control his urges, which he will do because he will not soil his own room.

After your dog’s living area has been set up, establish a second area which will serve as the toilet area. It is important that your dog be allowed to have access to his toilet area every time he needs to go. Feed your dog on a regular schedule so that you can almost control when your dog needs to go. Be sure to stay with your dog during your first visits to the ‘area’. Praise and keep encouraging your dog for relieving here. The more repetitive the process is, the faster your dog will learn to accept this as his toilet area. Housetraining success will be achieved when your puppy or dog begins to eliminate in the right place whether you are at home or not.

As you observe that your puppy is no longer eliminating in his living area, proceed to expand his area by moving him into another room, ideally a larger room. The same housetraining process should be repeated here. This new area is where your dog will sleep and eat for the time being. Praise your puppy for every time he goes outside this room and into his toilet area. If your puppy is successful, proceed to the next room, and then finally grant him unsupervised access to the entire house. Praising and rewarding your puppy will significantly influence the outcome and speed of your puppy’s housetraining process.

Read more about how to training your dog.