Tips on House Breaking a Norwich Terrier

Norwich terriers are happy, active, curious dogs who can be difficult to house train. Although they are quite intelligent and easily trained for obedience, their short attention span makes it difficult for them to anticipate the urge to urinate and hold it until they are let outside. Consistency and an early start are the keys to an effective house training technique.

  1. Praise

    • Because Norwich terriers are such affectionate dogs, praising them for going potty outside is often more effective than yelling at them for going potty inside. This breed tends to respond better to positive reinforcement than scolding, so making a big fuss over proper elimination encourages the dog and they will respond accordingly.

    Supervision

    • Supervision is vital to any house training regimen, but especially so for Norwich terriers. If left alone outside and expected to eliminate by himself, most will feel abandoned and begin destructive behaviors like digging and barking. Inside the house, supervision allows you to catch the puppy in the act of eliminating so you can interrupt him and take him outside to finish. Scolding a puppy after the fact only creates stress and confusion that can make matters worse. Because Norwich terriers enjoy being "part of the pack," some owners find it helpful to tether the dog's leash to their belt to make constant supervision easier. This way, preliminary elimination signs such as circling or sniffing can be caught in time, and the puppy can be brought to the appropriate place.

    Crate Training

    • Owners who are away from home for most of the day find crate training an effective house training method. The theory is that dogs have a natural aversion to eliminating where they sleep. When the puppy sleeps in a crate and spend time in the crate when left alone, the crate becomes his "den," and he is less likely to eliminate there. Therefore, the crate must be small enough so that he cannot urinate on one side and lay on the other, but big enough that he can stretch out and be comfortable. Crate training works best when the puppy is already walked on a regular schedule. If left in the crate for more than a few hours, most puppies will urinate in the crate simply because they desperately have to go.

    Feeding Schedule

    • Keeping your dog on a regular feeding schedule makes it easier to judge when your dog is most likely to go potty. Most puppies need to go shortly after waking up in the morning, and about 30 to 40 minutes after eating. Walking your dog on a schedule makes house training go quicker and more smoothly.