Housebreaking Training

In the United States, more than 90 percent of pets live indoors, so housebreaking your animal so that it does not urinate or defecate inside is one of the most important aspects of training. Depending on the type of pet you have, housebreaking can be difficult, but if you follow the right steps, are proactive and provide consistent training, you should be able to have your pet housebroken in under a month.

Things You'll Need

  • Newspapers
  • Pet kennel
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place newspapers on the floor inside your house for your pet to use. Encourage the pet to use these areas by praising it when it does. This leads the pet to associate these areas with going to the bathroom. Gradually place these newspapers or pads closer to the door and finally outside the door.

    • 2

      Place your pet inside a crate or kennel with comfortable bedding when you cannot watch it. Pets do not like to soil their own beds. Leave the pet inside the crate or kennel for no more than five hours at a time. Leaving the pet inside teaches it to hold it rather than relieve itself whenever it feels the urge.

    • 3

      Monitor your pet for any "predefecation" patterns. These patterns may include prolonged sniffing in a particular area or pacing around a certain area. When you recognize these patterns, immediately take the animal outside. When it goes, praise it but then immediately bring it back inside. You want to associate going outside to use the bathroom with a positive outcome.

    • 4

      Say "No" when your pet urinates or defecates inside and quickly but calmly take it outside. You should not get mad in this situation, but you should make it clear to the animal that this is not the right behavior.