How to Potty Train a 6 Month Old Alaskan Malamute

If your six-month-old Alaskan malamute puppy isn’t housetrained yet, it should be taught very soon. The older a dog is when housebroken, the harder the process becomes, as it gets accustomed to eliminating in the home. Fortunately, malamutes are intelligent dogs that can pick up on training rather easily, as long as their owners are consistent.

Things You'll Need

  • Crate Treats Enzymatic cleaner
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Instructions

    • 1

      Provide a den for your malamute and keep it in there when you are not able to supervise it. Crates are often viewed by malamutes as dens—places where they can be alone and relax. Dogs in the wild often use dens and enjoy spending time inside them. Your malamute probably will, too. According to the Omal Alaskan Malamutes website, malamutes typically like their crates because they are areas they can easily defend. Dogs avoid urinating or defecating in their dens, which makes the crate a perfect place to keep your pup when you are not able to watch it. Just make sure you let your puppy out of the crate for frequent potty breaks.

    • 2

      Take your malamute puppy outside at the same times every day. Establishing a schedule helps your puppy learn when it is acceptable to eliminate and how long it has to wait until it is able to do so. Always take your malamute outside before you place it into the crate and once you have released it. In addition, take the pup out immediately after it wakes up and eats. At six months, your malamute puppy may occasionally have to go outside in between those times, as well. Whenever the puppy starts to act as if it needs to eliminate—for instance, whining, walking to the door or smelling the ground—take it outside immediately.

    • 3

      Practice consistent techniques. Malamutes can be quite stubborn and may protest this new training. However, if you are consistent in your teachings, the malamute will typically accept that this is its new routine and way of life. If you don’t follow a strict schedule or keep the malamute inside the crate whenever you are gone, you are creating a potential setback, and the malamute will become confused and won’t understand what is expected of it. If you don't hold up your end of the routine, the puppy can’t be expected to, either. Therefore, always maintain the same schedule and potty-training methods, and your malamute will catch on faster.

    • 4

      Supply your malamute with plenty of praise immediately after it does what it's supposed to do—whether it's going outside to do its business or coming back into its crate. The Puppy Training Solutions website states that malamutes become bored easily, which can hinder training. Stop your pooch from becoming bored by giving it treats as soon it does what you ask it to. The prospect of receiving more treats is often all that it takes to pique a malamute’s interest and to encourage it to keep performing well.