Thread: What is the best and easiest way to house brake your puppy?

My puppy is about 13 1/2 weeks, boy, shitzue.

Bust all the pillars in your house.

#1 Crate train him
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/cratetraining.htm
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/housebreaking.htm
Choose a designated potty area.
Take the pup to the area first thing when it awakens (from overnight or a nap)
Feed the pup in the crate; allow 20-30 minutes for digestion, then take the pup immediately to designated area.
Choose a phrase (go pee, go potty, hurry up, do your business) and use it consistently - before during and after the deed: go pee Fido; Fido is going pee; Fido went pee - what a good dog!
Praise praise praise for appropriate elimination; hugs, pats, jump up and down & offer a small treat.
Allow a little time afterwards for outdoor play and exploration; if you do not you will be teaching the pup to dawdle, playtime is a reward for pottying.
IGNORE mistakes - under no circumstances should you scold, hit with a rolled-up newspaper, or rub their nose in accidents.
If you catch it starting to squat indoors, firmly say no and immediately remove him to the appropriate area.
It is a good idea to tether him to you with a short rope or leash while you are indoors, as that makes YOU more conscious of where he is and what he is doing; he can't sneak off behind a chair or around the corner to do the dirty deed.

i dont know the best way to train a puppy but please dont say break thats so old and cruel sounding it makes me cringe

Get a doggy door to the back yard...trying to coax him out is hard..but you need to leave him out and show that door to him so he can investigate and eventually realize he can come and go as he pleases.

if you have a yard take him out alot,- then when he pees on the floor before you wipe it up, take him over to it, have a rolled up paper and hit it on the floor by it [the puddle]
not real hard or he might just pee again. on u- just have patience and work with him , hes your baby,,

Lots of patience and many trips outside until he learns to go to the door and tell you that he needs to go. Do not ever hit the puppy for any reason as you will confuse and scare it. Be very loving, he's just a baby.

Hi Christine,

Although I am a cat owner, I grew up with dogs so I can give you my two cents from experience. We never used the "crate" method but that is just as effective.

Here is a great article on how to potty train your puppy. I also included some info. based on my experience growing up with dogs in my family.

It will cover:

starting inside
verbal cues
accidents happen inside the house: what to do/not do
feeding/house training
spontaneous or submissive urination (when puppies get excited they may urinate by accident)

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?articleid=157

Your local veterinary clinic, humane society or local Petsmart will also have information on potty training methods for dogs too.

If you don't want to do the create method, just lay some newspapers on the floor of your kitchen (not the whole floor), just a small section.

After every meal, cue your puppy to go outside by first saying "time to go outside" then take the puppy outside. Pay attention to your puppy's "schedule" that is, when does he need to go to the bathroom; immediately after he eats, an hour later?

Stay outside with the puppy and use cue words to help him go potty. Do not play with him so he knows that its potty time, not playtime. Save the playtime for a long walk or outside of his potty schedule.

3x a day is a good start; morning after breakfast, lunchtime and after dinnertime.

It just requires a lot of patience, and some repetitive behavior on your part to help him establish a schedule and understanding of what time and where he can go potty.

Most vets will say puppies need 5-6 months until they are fully potty trained. But it depends on the routine you establish and how well you train your puppy.

Good luck!

With dogs a boy is sometimes harder to house break because they want to mark their territory. But here is a proven method.

1. Never leave food out for them to snack on. If they are eating off and on all day then their schedule of using the bathroom will be random. Only feed them twice a day and only give them what they can eat. If any food is left in the bowl throw it out. (if it's dry food you can put it back in the bag)

2. When you do feed your dog it is best to use a high quality brand of dry dog food. However, never give it to them dry. Mix the dry food with hot water. The hot water will trigger their need to go. So, once they have finished their food take them outside right away. If you keep them on a feeding schedule the dry food with mixed hot water will become a trigger for them to go.

3. When you do take your dog outside to pee or poop (if your feeding schedule is good, they will pee and poop) never let them sniff around too much. Never let them play at all. This is the time to do their business and they need to understand that.

4. When your dog does use the bathroom outside, praise them. Pet them and say ''Good boy'' in that sweet way. This helps promote a continued success in the future.

5. When you take your dog outside take him to the same area. This will also help him to understand what is expected of him.

6. After your dog has done his business and you have praised him, take him back into the house immediately. You may take him outside later to play but at this time it's strickly business.

7. During your training time there will be accidents. DO NOT beat or punish your dog for these accidents. Contrary to popular belief, punishing your dog for doing what comes natural to them will just confuss them and it will make house training much harder.

8. Don't give up too easily. Some dogs take a little longer than others to catch on. You should be able to get your dog on the right tract in a week, maybe two. Just stick to your schedule.

9. Smaller dogs, smaller bladders and less control. A dog can only hold his pee for so long and then he has to go, just like we do. If you have to leave a small dog alone for more than 4 or 5 hours then leave him in the bathroom so accidents can be easily cleaned up.

10. This is the last one but it's just as important as the first 9. Buy a dog carrier. Put your carrier on the floor with the door open. DO NOT push your dog inside. Encourage him to go in but let him do it on his terms. Once he is inside try to coax him to stay inside. At first just leave him in it for a minute or two with the door open. When he comes out give him much praise. The next time try to get him to stay a little longer and keep doing this till he understands that this is where he has to stay when you're away. After he stay in the carrier for 10 minutes you can then start closing the door while he's in the carrier. When you open the door do not let him come running out. He needs to know you are the alfa dog and he must obey you. When you're ready for him to come out you can give him a signal. You can whistle or say ''come'' or what ever you chose to do as a signal. He should only leave the carrier when you want him to. Eventually he will automatically go in everytime you open the door and he will stay in, even with the door open, until you signal for him to come out. Using the carrier in this way promotes many things. (A) He will understand you are the one in control. (B) He will feel more secure knowing you are the alfa dog and he obeys you, not the other way around. (C) He will feel safe and calm inside the carrier. (D) Since dogs do not want to use the bathroom in the same place they sleep he will not go in the carrier. This helps with your house training.

These and many more tips on how to train your dog can be better understood if you watch ''The Dog Whisperer''. It's a fantastic show which has offered me many helpful tips.

GOOD LUCK!!