As a general rule, most puppies can wait to urinate about one hour
for each month of age, give or take an hour. We take our
pups out frequently enough so that this limit is not pushed to the
point of having accidents.
By using a puppy crate or confined area, you can train your puppy
to "go" outdoors. We sometimes use a comfortable
collar and a short leash to keep our puppy with us but where it
can be watched and supervised. This allows her to be a part
of the family, but still confined.
For many new puppy owners, house-training is the most important
part of training. Our pups naturally tend to avoid
doing their "business" in places where they must sleep
or eat. We achieve this by keeping them in a very clean area, from
a young age. This is important because it teaches the puppy to not
like being around it's own waste. This is an important early step
that we take to help the new owners. Your puppy's eagerness
to please you is also a tool in house-training.
How Often to Take Your Puppy Out
Most puppies can "hold it" for at least a short
period of time. The younger the puppy, the shorter the time. For
every one month of age, the puppy can hold it for about an hour.
This means when you take home your 8 week old puppy, you expect to
take her outside about every two hours. As the puppy gets older,
the span between outside visits will lengthen.
Puppies sleep through the night, so we get up early to let them
out right when they wake up. This helps them learn to hold
it overnight and expect relief first thing in the morning. When
you are home, and able to have your puppy with you, she shouldn’t
be crated. Many people use a baby gate to confine their pups to a
tiled or easy to clean area such as their kitchen or laundry room.
This is the next natural step from the crate training, when your
puppy can hold it for a while longer and shows signs such as
whining or barking to let you know when she has to go out.
We also use a leash to keep our pups within sight when we are in
other rooms. The leash method allows the pup to be with the family
and also starts her training to become a peaceful member of the
family.
We usually do not recommend paper training, although some pet
owners find it easier. The puppy can find the paper and do
her business there and this helps with the cleanup. We feel
that this just adds another step to the process. Use paper
training if it helps you and your puppy.
The most
important part of house training your puppy is consistency.
Your pup is a creature of habit and will gladly go outside given
the chance.
Your Job as a
New Puppy Owner
If possible, plan
on bringing your new puppy home when you have time to be home with
her, or at least to have a flexible schedule allowing home visits
every few hours. If this is not possible, you should keep her in
an area where if she does have an accident, she is not forced to
lay or walk in it. There is a fine line between a space that
is too big and a space that is too small. She should
be taken outdoors to a designated "toilet" area every
few hours. We carry our pups to the same spot each time and
using a cue word, encourage her to do her business. If this
does not immediately produce results, be patient, bring her in and
re-confine her until the next time. When you take her out do not
let her play afterwards, pick her up and bring her back inside.
This leaves little room for confusion. You may also reward her
with a treat or just alot of praise. Once she has urinated
and defecated outdoors, she can have freedom indoors for a short
time.
To Punish or Not to Punish
The number one thing that we definitely do not want new puppy
owners to do is the old fashioned method of "rubbing their
nose in it"! This form of punishment is not effective and
will result in your puppy becoming afraid of being handled or
approached. In fact, we feel that if the puppy has an accident, it
is more than likely the owner's fault, not the puppy's! Be
watchful and you will know when your puppy needs to go
outside. If you catch your pup in the act, a simple handclap
will distract her so you can quickly move her outdoors to finish
the job. If a mess is found after the fact, punishment will only
confuse her. We pick up the mess and place it in the same spot
outside that we want our pup to go to the bathroom. The next
time she is outside this will prompt her to go there to do her
business. Then, try to figure out how to avoid the accident next
time. Most accidents can be avoided by confining your puppy
in some way. Most puppies want to please you and a simple scolding
is very effective.
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