Housebreaking 101
Have a new puppy in the house? Many people have unrealistic expectations about potty training expectations. Puppies under the age of 5mo are not able to “alert” to the bathroom urges, so much the same as parents of human babies, it becomes the responsibility of the adult to be proactive & provide puppies the opportunity to potty in appropriate place(s) to minimalism in-house accidents. Dogs are den-dwelling so tend to avoid soiling in the same areas they sleep in. You can capitalize on this by utilizing a crate to confine your dog when you are unable to directly supervise them. Crate training also prevents your dog from getting into something that can injure or kill them, but that is another blog topic for another time. You want to chose a crate that is just big enough for your pup to stand & turn around, but not so big that they can perceive that one 1/2 of the crate is for sleeping, & the other 1/2 is the toilet. Have a large breed puppy? Instead of investing in multiple crates you can make your large crate feel smaller by putting in a plastic container or metal popcorn tin in the back of the crate to make the crate feel smaller until your pup grows into their crate. Some large wire crates also come with dividers for this exact reason.
But how often does your pup need to go out? The general rule of thumb is:
Age in Months + 2 = hrs between potty breaks so if you have a 2mo puppy 2+2=4hr A 4mo puppy would be 4+2+6 They will be able to go a little longer over night, and a lot LESS after meals & big drinks of water. I usually count on 20min after meals & water drinks, closer to 30min as your dog is 6-9mo.
The timer should be your new best friend. It’s easy to get distracted & lose track of the time you intended to take your furry friend out. Setting a timer will help keep you on track on getting your puppy out BEFORE an accident occurs. Daily routine should include a potty break IMMEDIATELY after coming out of their crate: in the morning, post-nap, when they have been confined for a period of time. After your pup has done their business outside THEN you can allow some supervised playtime in the house *again setting your timer so you can offer another potty break in 20-30min*
Have an accident in the house? Roll up your newspaper & swat YOURSELF for not being more diligent: were they offered time outside BEFORE indoor playtime? did you supervise your pup when they were outside to visually confirm they DID everything they were supposed to? did they get a big drink when they came back in? were they fed recently? did you set your timer? were you ACTIVELY supervising your pup (Meaning Eyes-on-Pup)? were you paying attention to subtle signs of a bathroom urge like ground-sniffing & circling with a humped back? Step 2 is put your dog outside to make sure the job is done in the APPROPRIATE place then back to their crate until you are able to supervise. Step 3 thoroughly clean the area to remove all smells as dogs tend to urinate & defecate in the same area every time.
Have an apple device? There’s now an app for that! Find Out More A new potty training app complete with a timer & journal to keep track of what is done when, which is GREAT as I always recommend to someone struggling with accidents in the house start an “Elimination Journal” to keep track of EVERYTHING done & times as often you can find a pattern.