Things You'll Need
- Leash
- Dog treats (optional)
Instructions
Routine
Learn when to take your dog outside. Whether you have a puppy or an older dog, two of the most important times are as soon as it wakes in the morning and right before it goes bed. Take it outside two to three times during the day, or any time you pick up on an "I have to go" signal, such as the dog sniffing in circles, standing by the door, barking, whining or squatting. If you have a puppy, take it outside about every two hours because its bladder can't hold urine as long as an older dog's bladder.
Keep your dog on a leash when you take it outside. The leash will help you to take the dog to same spot each time so it can associate that specific spot with relieving itself.
Establish a command. When you are outside, use a word or phrase such as "hurry up and go." The command tells your dog to get down to business once it is in the area associated with going.
Praise good behavior. Once your dog follows your command, praise it with "good job" in a happy tone and a scratch on the head or also with a dog treat.
Put your dog on a regular feeding schedule until the potty routine is established. A puppy needs to eat about three or four times each day, depending on its breed. Consult your veterinarian to see what types of food are best for your breed's age and size. Feeding at the same time each day helps with the potty schedule because you take the pup outside after every meal. For older dogs, start by feeding it once in the morning and once in the afternoon to establish an eating routine. Then take it to its regular spot outside. Once a dog is housebroken, decide whether or not to leave its food accessible at other times. Placing the food out of your dog's reach confines the production of waste to the time period right after meals.
Accidents
Realize that accidents happen. Accidents are inevitable when housebreaking, but scolding your dog after it already went in the house won't help.
Interrupt the bad behavior while it happens. Your dog won't know what it did wrong if you don't catch it in the act. So if you can interrupt the accident or stop it before it happens by clapping your hands or stomping a foot, do so. If not, take the dog through the routine next time and reward the good behavior.
Recognize what went wrong to result in the accident. Whether it was your fault by straying from the routine or the dog's fault, knowing what events led to the accident allow you to correct the behavior so it doesn't happen again.
Maintain the schedule. Every one time the routine is broken takes an average of three times to get back to where you were. So try not to break the routine for any reason.