You've spent hundreds of dollars on carpet cleaners to try to get rid of the puppy accident stains, hours coming home and getting in a sour mood because of the pile next to the couch...what to do????
Housetraining Methods
One of the most common and least successful methods is to simply take the puppy out randomly throughout the day...and quite frankly it just doesn't always work. Maybe your childhood dog somehow managed to get housebroken this way, but it's not something I recommend. Paper training is another very common method of housebreaking, where the dog/puppy is taught to use the bathroom on newspapers or potty pads placed somewhere in the house. I personally do not like this method, because you want your dog to not use the bathroom in the house at all, not just have a designated place to soil inside.
Perhaps the most recent housetraining method that is slowly on the rise is litter training. There are many brands of "dog potties"(basically a giant litter box with a turf-like surface), and also many actual dog litter boxes. These are kind of pointless in my opinion unless you own a Chihuahua in Alaska who would freeze to death if they went outside in the winter. Lol. A nice idea that could be very effective, but I think more work than it's worth. I'd rather take my dog outside and clean it's poop there than clean a giant box full of it. Plus it would smell awful.
Crate Training
The typical reaction to crate training is, "I don't want to put my dog in a cage." The fact is, canines of all kinds usually like small spaces. Dogs do not want to soil the same area they sleep in, and with crate training that's exactly the idea. If you can't watch puppy for 20 minutes or so, you don't have to worry that he's free-roaming the house looking for a restroom. I'll post a separate thread on how to crate train soon, as that's a rather lengthy subject. Remember puppies cannot hold their bladders for very long--you can't leave your 12 week old puppy in the house or in the crate for 8 hours while you're at work and expect him not to pee/poop somewhere. He physically CAN'T hold it, period. Someone will have to let him out periodically.
A Proper Crate
Your puppy's crate only needs to be big enough for him to turn around, lie down, and stand, comfortably. If you own a medium/large breed, or anything NOT toy size, then yes--you WILL need to buy another crate. If your crate is too big for your puppy, I can guarantee you he will soil one end and sleep in the other. This completely defeats the purpose of crate training. Many crates come with dividers, so that you can adjust the size of the space he occupies as he grows. A crate and a pet carrier are NOT one and the same. Typically pet carriers are much too big for crate training, and many puppies prefer to be able to see out of their crates.
Benefits of Crate Training:
-Puppy has a place to get away from the stress of new environment, new people, etc.
-Older dog or kids can get a rest from demanding puppy.
-Control over messes in the house.
How and When to Take Your Puppy Out
That's right, take your puppy out. Don't just let him outside and assume he'll do his business. He'll probably go romp outside, then come in and relieve himself. Take your puppy out and wait for him to relieve himself. TONS of praise when he does. Always take him to the same place in the yard so he doesn't learn that ANY place outside will do. Then you'll have a minefield of POO MOUNDS, which is harder to clean and ruins your whole yard. If you have a teacup Poodle it doesn't seem too bad, but if you have a Saint Bernard, you understand why it's important for your dog to use only one area of the yard. If you have a securely fenced yard, a 4-yr-old, well house trained dog can easily be trusted to relieve himself when you just let him outside. But your 1-yr-old is still happy to romp outside before you leave for work, and then not be able to hold it because he didn't relieve himself before coming back in. Not that all 1-yr-olds can't be trusted--just an example.
Take your puppy out the second he wakes up, even if just from a 3-minute-nap. Take him out immediately after play. Right after eating/drinking a lot. Keep a consistent feeding schedule and stick to it for the rest of his life. Take him out first thing in the morning before breakfast, then after breakfast, and after each meal of the day. Always take him out before and after mealtime(for an older dog, this might be 7/8 each morning and 7/8 each night). Consistent feeding and consistent potty breaks are very important to successfully housebreaking a puppy(or dog).
Cleaners
Pet-specific cleaners are the only ones that will get rid of both stain and smell. Regular carpet cleaners will get rid of the stain and what you smell, but not what puppy smells. If puppy can still smell it, puppy will still go there. So get a pet-specific enzymatic cleaner. If your puppy has been using the same rug for three weeks and you keep cleaning it, TOSS IT. The smell is not gone and may not go away so goodbye rug or puppy will keep using it. Some good brands Petsmart carries: Nature's Miracle and PetZyme. These are natural products and shouldn't bleach anything, but they still recommend to test a small area before cleaning the actual spot.
I'm sure I've forgotten something, and will probably end up adding more. Hope you find this helpful!
Housetraining Methods
One of the most common and least successful methods is to simply take the puppy out randomly throughout the day...and quite frankly it just doesn't always work. Maybe your childhood dog somehow managed to get housebroken this way, but it's not something I recommend. Paper training is another very common method of housebreaking, where the dog/puppy is taught to use the bathroom on newspapers or potty pads placed somewhere in the house. I personally do not like this method, because you want your dog to not use the bathroom in the house at all, not just have a designated place to soil inside.
Perhaps the most recent housetraining method that is slowly on the rise is litter training. There are many brands of "dog potties"(basically a giant litter box with a turf-like surface), and also many actual dog litter boxes. These are kind of pointless in my opinion unless you own a Chihuahua in Alaska who would freeze to death if they went outside in the winter. Lol. A nice idea that could be very effective, but I think more work than it's worth. I'd rather take my dog outside and clean it's poop there than clean a giant box full of it. Plus it would smell awful.
Crate Training
The typical reaction to crate training is, "I don't want to put my dog in a cage." The fact is, canines of all kinds usually like small spaces. Dogs do not want to soil the same area they sleep in, and with crate training that's exactly the idea. If you can't watch puppy for 20 minutes or so, you don't have to worry that he's free-roaming the house looking for a restroom. I'll post a separate thread on how to crate train soon, as that's a rather lengthy subject. Remember puppies cannot hold their bladders for very long--you can't leave your 12 week old puppy in the house or in the crate for 8 hours while you're at work and expect him not to pee/poop somewhere. He physically CAN'T hold it, period. Someone will have to let him out periodically.
A Proper Crate
Your puppy's crate only needs to be big enough for him to turn around, lie down, and stand, comfortably. If you own a medium/large breed, or anything NOT toy size, then yes--you WILL need to buy another crate. If your crate is too big for your puppy, I can guarantee you he will soil one end and sleep in the other. This completely defeats the purpose of crate training. Many crates come with dividers, so that you can adjust the size of the space he occupies as he grows. A crate and a pet carrier are NOT one and the same. Typically pet carriers are much too big for crate training, and many puppies prefer to be able to see out of their crates.
Benefits of Crate Training:
-Puppy has a place to get away from the stress of new environment, new people, etc.
-Older dog or kids can get a rest from demanding puppy.
-Control over messes in the house.
How and When to Take Your Puppy Out
That's right, take your puppy out. Don't just let him outside and assume he'll do his business. He'll probably go romp outside, then come in and relieve himself. Take your puppy out and wait for him to relieve himself. TONS of praise when he does. Always take him to the same place in the yard so he doesn't learn that ANY place outside will do. Then you'll have a minefield of POO MOUNDS, which is harder to clean and ruins your whole yard. If you have a teacup Poodle it doesn't seem too bad, but if you have a Saint Bernard, you understand why it's important for your dog to use only one area of the yard. If you have a securely fenced yard, a 4-yr-old, well house trained dog can easily be trusted to relieve himself when you just let him outside. But your 1-yr-old is still happy to romp outside before you leave for work, and then not be able to hold it because he didn't relieve himself before coming back in. Not that all 1-yr-olds can't be trusted--just an example.
Take your puppy out the second he wakes up, even if just from a 3-minute-nap. Take him out immediately after play. Right after eating/drinking a lot. Keep a consistent feeding schedule and stick to it for the rest of his life. Take him out first thing in the morning before breakfast, then after breakfast, and after each meal of the day. Always take him out before and after mealtime(for an older dog, this might be 7/8 each morning and 7/8 each night). Consistent feeding and consistent potty breaks are very important to successfully housebreaking a puppy(or dog).
Cleaners
Pet-specific cleaners are the only ones that will get rid of both stain and smell. Regular carpet cleaners will get rid of the stain and what you smell, but not what puppy smells. If puppy can still smell it, puppy will still go there. So get a pet-specific enzymatic cleaner. If your puppy has been using the same rug for three weeks and you keep cleaning it, TOSS IT. The smell is not gone and may not go away so goodbye rug or puppy will keep using it. Some good brands Petsmart carries: Nature's Miracle and PetZyme. These are natural products and shouldn't bleach anything, but they still recommend to test a small area before cleaning the actual spot.
I'm sure I've forgotten something, and will probably end up adding more. Hope you find this helpful!
Lindz
