How to House Train a Puppy Fast

Like babies, puppies are cute and playful--and have little control over their bladder and bowels. Like children, puppies must be taught the rules--and, like children, they respond to consistency. The key to housebreaking a puppy is to be consistent with the training. Also, the more time you spend training a puppy, the faster it learns.

Things You'll Need

  • Dog crate
  • Blanket
  • Chew toy
  • Dog leash
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Instructions

    • 1

      Puppies have a natural instinct to avoid soiling their bed. Take advantage of this: get a crate just large enough for your puppy to stand in, lie down and turn around comfortably. This will help your puppy get house-trained fast. If the crate is too big, your pup may sleep in one corner and make another corner its toilet.

    • 2

      Cover the floor of the crate with a soft blanket. Throw in a chew toy as well. Make the crate a place that the pup associates with comfort and safety. Never use it as a punishment.

    • 3

      Identify pre-potty signs. The best time to look for these signs is soon after the dog has eaten, say within 30 to 40 minutes. A puppy generally shows that it needs to eliminate by rapidly pacing or smelling the floor to identify a good spot. Puppies also need to eliminate right after they wake up.

    • 4

      Put your puppy on a leash when you take it outside to relieve itself. Use the same word or phrase--for example, "let's go outside"--for these outings. Don't use those words or the phrase any other time that you take it out. To further speed the training process, take your pup out the same door and to the same spot every time. Offer lavish praise after it is done and bring it back inside the house immediately; don't dawdle or play with it outside. This will help your puppy to clearly understand the purpose of these trips outside.

    • 5

      Despite the training, your puppy might pee or poop inside the house occasionally. You need to let it know that such acts are unacceptable, but do not overreact. Say "no" firmly, lift up the pup and take it out to the designated spot. If you catch it in the act, you can put the pup's tail between its legs while lifting it up--this will help it control its urge to eliminate.

    • 6

      Be patient. Your puppy may lose control of its bladder or bowels when it sees you after a long time or meets another dog. This is known as submissive or excitement urination. Don't bother about this; just clean up the mess. The puppy will outgrow this in a few months.