The Best Way to Housetrain a Dog

When you get a new dog, housetraining is easily the hardest task you will to face. Some dogs will be more difficult than others to housebreak, which means you will have to get drastic if you want to see any results. Constant supervision and diligence is the only way to housetrain a stubborn or difficult pet.

Things You'll Need

  • Crate
  • Collar
  • Leash
  • Dog bedding
  • Dog treats
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Instructions

    • 1
      It is best to start with clean floors and carpets.

      Clean any area where accidents have occurred. You can do this yourself with proper chemicals and a steam cleaner or you can hire a cleaning company to do it for you. Dogs have a very good sense of smell, and they use that talent to locate the bathroom, much the way you use your eyes to find the sign indicating a public restroom.

    • 2
      Crates come in all sizes.

      Set up the dog crate for times when you will be out of the house or too busy to watch your pet carefully. Place nice pet bedding inside for them to lay upon, as dogs do not like to go to the bathroom where they sleep. There should be enough room for the dog to turn around and lay down, but little else. In other words, do not put it in a crate so large that the animal has room to urinate or defecate.

    • 3
      Short leashes are best for use in the house.

      Place the leash on your dog and keep it close to you throughout the day. Since the dog will be near you all the time, you can quickly respond to your pet's cues that it needs to use the bathroom. As soon as he begins to circle, sniff excessively or scratch the floor, you should take the animal outside.

    • 4
      Dogs learn what words mean through repetitiion.

      Tell the dog it is time to potty. The terminology you use is not important, but it is critical that you use the same word each time. Whether you say "go," "bathroom," "potty" or some other variant, use that same instruction consistenly so that your dog will get the idea of what it is upposed to do when you say the word.

    • 5
      Reward with treats in addition to petting and praise.

      Reward the dog with praise or even a treat when it has completed its business outside. Return to the house, but keep your dog close to you even after it has done well outside. Sometimes a dog will only partially eliminate outdoors; it may urinate but nothing else.

    • 6
      Toys and a small food dish can reinforce that the crate is not a punishment.

      Place your dog inside its crate when you must leave or cannot attend to the dog moment by moment. If you are training a very young puppy, remember it cannot control its bladder and bowels for more than a few hours, so remove it from the crate after 3 or 4 hours. This is actually a good rule to follow for all dogs. If you need to leave the dog crated for longer than that, you may want to consider a pet sitter.

    • 7
      Dogs will sniff quite a bit before choosing a spot to use.

      Take your dog outside on a regular basis throughout the day. You will soon discover its "schedule" and learn exactly when it needs to go out. Specific times you should take your pet out are first thing in the morning--in fact the earlier the better--within 30 minutes of eating, and right before bedtime. While you are training your pet, you may find you are making more frequent trips; however, if you are not taking your pet out at least three times a day, you are probably still dealing with accidents.Clean the area and repeat these processes until you have an accident-free dog and home.