Tips on Housebreaking Puppies From the Pound

Because the environment at a pound or animal shelter is different than that at a house, a puppy that you adopt may have housebreaking difficulties when you first bring it home. Puppies from the pound typically are not housebroken unless they arrived that way. Housebreaking a new puppy can be a time-consuming process, but patience pays off in the end.

  1. Begin on Day One

    • Begin the housebreaking process on day one, as soon as the puppy comes home from the shelter. You should already have the training process planned out so that you can implement it immediately before the puppy has a chance to develop any more bad habits.

    Involve Everyone

    • Involve the entire family in the housebreaking process for the puppy. This will socialize the puppy while ensuring that someone is always available to help the puppy when it needs to eliminate. Involve adults and children in the training process, but make sure to supervise children under the age of 10.

    Stick to the Plan

    • Choose one housebreaking plan and stick to it throughout the process. Everyone should follow the same training methods without any variation. Variation is only going to cause problems and confusion for the puppy. Make sure that the same cue words and the same schedule are used by every member of the family.

    Give Plenty of Attention

    • Give the new puppy a lot of attention at first. If the puppy is having frequent accidents, this is an indicator that the puppy is not receiving enough attention. If you are spending enough time with your puppy, you will be able to catch potential accidents before they happen rather than after.

    Restrict Access

    • Restrict how much free space the puppy has at first during the training process. Keep the puppy contained in a room that has an easy-to-clean floor such as linoleum or tile. Use a baby gate to keep the puppy contained in a specific area without cutting off all contact. Make sure that the puppy has access to water at all times.

    Do Not Punish

    • Avoid punishing your puppy when it has an accident. If you catch the puppy mid-accident, interrupt the elimination and take the puppy outside to finish eliminating. If you try to scold or punish the puppy after the elimination, it will not understand why you are punishing it, and it may have a poor reaction to the scolding.

    Reward Often

    • Reward the puppy every time it eliminates properly. Offer verbal praise during the event as well as after. Combine an enthusiastic tone with a favorite treat or toy, and the puppy will associate the proper elimination behavior with positive results.