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5 RULES FOR HOUSE BREAKING YOUR NEW PUPPY:
RULE #1: ALWAYS PRAISE YOUR PUPPY when he asks to go outside, again when he actually does his business outside, and yet again when he comes back inside after having relieved himself outside. Do so enthusiastically and in an excited tone, petting, scratching, and stroking him in ways he most likes.While punishment for mistakes is necessary, PRAISE for doing it outside is even more so. The puppy's desire to please you will be the strongest of all motivating forces for him to become house trained. It is impossible for me to emphasize enough how important positive reinforcment for good behavior is, more so than any punishment or discouragement. So much so that this is rule #1 for a reason.
RULE #2: Consistency...always praise your puppy for going outside, don't be lazy. As he comes to expect praise for doing so, failing to praise him even once could confuse him and undo all your effort so far. Likewise when you punish him for mistakes, make it the same punishment every time, don't escalate out of frustration. When taking him outside to relieve himself, whether on schedule or after an accident, try to use the same door each time. When he begins to scratch, bark, or otherwise signal that he needs to go out, don't make him wait - respond as promptly as you can and let him out, praising him for asking. Always praise him after comeing back in as well.
RULE #3: Patience. Don't get mad if your puppy makes mistakes, he's bound to. Each mistake is a teaching opportunity. Approach it as such.
RULE #4: Schedule. Always take your puppy outside to relieve himself immediately after each meal you've fed him. Wait for him to relieve himself, and praise him when he does. This will take some time at first, but soon he'll catch onto what this time is for and relieve himself relatively quickly. Keeping this schedule does two things - it reduces the chance of an accident because he has already relieved himself. Also the puppy soon learns the schedule and may sometimes even cease feeling the urge to go until after he's eaten.
RULE #5: Punishment. There are two forms of punishment you should mete out under different circumstances. First, if you catch him in the act, it is okay to give him a quick "pop" on the bottom accompanied by a sharp, "NO!". Many will tell you to never "hit" your puppy, but I think a "pop" on the butt to get his attention is fine. Don't do it hard, you are only trying to startle him into stopping and get his attention. Then take him immediately outside to finish. Remember to praise him when he does.
The second kind of punishment is given if you do not catch him in the act. If you find a puddle or solid deposit that you didn't see him do, don't hit or "pop" him. But it is okay to show him the mess and say sharply, "NO!" Then take him immediately outside. Many trainers will tell you this is ineffective because the puppy has forgotten already that he made the mess. But in my opinion that doesn't matter - even if he doesn't remember it is his mess, he still gets the idea that such messes are unacceptible, and this, ultimately, is the message you want him to get.
NOTE: NEVER RUB YOUR PUPPY'S NOSE IN HIS MESS! This only causes him to ingest his own urine or feces when he licks it off his nose. You don't want your puppy to get a taste for this and become a poo-eater.
NOW, GO BACK AND READ RULE #1 AGAIN BEFORE FINSHING THE REST BELOW!
If you remain consistent in these five rules, soon your puppy will begin scratching at the door and/or barking when he needs to go out to relieve himself. Always praise him when he does so.
BELL METHOD: Another great method is to hang a bell from the doorknob by a string. Every time you take your puppy outside to relieve himself, whether on schedule or as the result of a mistake, pause here and cause his nose to tap the bell and make it ring. Soon he will ring this bell as a way of asking to go out. Always praise him when he does. Many people find this preferable to having their dog bark to go out.
CRATE TRAINING: Many trainers swear by the crate training method, as do I. When you are not home or cannot otherwise supervise your puppy, put him in a crate designed for dogs, big enough for him to be comfortable and lined with a cushion. Dogs do not like to relieve themselves where they sleep and so will learn quickly to hold themselves while in this crate. A very young puppy is still going to make mistakes. Merely clean these up and DO NOT punish him for this - he can only be reasonably expected to hold it for so long at his young age. But he will learn quicker using this method than merely letting him roam the house when you are gone.
As he becomes house-trained you will no longer need to lock him in the crate when you are away, but keep it for him anyway. Soon your puppy will like being in his crate, even when he doesn't have to be. He may often sleep there or seek refuge there when firghtened. This will become his home. I call it my dog's "condo."
NOTE: NEVER punish your puppy while he is in his crate, never force him into it against his will or as a form of punihsment, and never forcibly drag him out of it, even if he runs here to escape punishement. Having this be a sanctuary for your dog is highly desireable and you don't want him to associate his crate with being punished.
DOGGY DOORS: While doggy doors are a great convenience, they can inhibit your dog's ability to become house trained. You want your puppy to be welcome at the homes of friends and relatives who may not have doggy doors. So until your puppy becomes house trained, block up your doggy door. Even after he has learned to be both house trained and to use the doggy door, block it off occasionally and make him ask to go out as a sort of refresher course.
PUPPY PADS: DON'T DO IT! Puppy pads are designed to be an intermediate step in house training. They are absorbant pads you can buy and teach your puppy to relieve himself on them. In my opinion these are a HIGE mistake! First, soiled pads are unsanitary and unsightly to visitors. Second and most importantly, once your puppy has learned to releive himself on these, teaching him to THEN ask to go outside is next to impossible. Also, when he visits family and friends, you must bring some pads with you or risk your puppy soiling their floors, and again the unsightly nature of soiled pads is certain to limit the number of invitiations you and your puppy are liable to get in the fuiture. In the end these "conveniences" are counter-productive to your attempts to house train your dog and are more trouble than they are worth.
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