Return to the Information PageHouse-training starts the minute you bring the puppy home. Although a puppy cannot be fully house-trained until he's at least four months old, you can start right away letting him know what's expected in your house. Teaching the dog to be alone must also be taught immediately, and these two thing go hand in hand.
First, you must realize that this puppy has been brought up in
a puppy play-pen where he has been able to run about and relieve
himself at any time, day or night, and it is a great change for
him to have to learn to do otherwise. This puppy does, however,
prefer to relieve himself outside and keep his living quarters
clean. Always take your puppy outside immediately after a meal,
and as soon as he starts to relive himself, gently give him the
command you will use for ever after. I use the word "go potty,"
but it doesn't matter which words you use, so long as in the future
your puppy connects those words with this obligation. When the
puppy has relieved himself, praise him for all you are
worth, and give him a small food treat (such as a tiny
peace of cheese or meat). Take him and have a game or short romp.
It is a good rule of thumb to take the puppy outside every
hour on the hour when he is awake and active.... never wake
your puppy form a good sleep just to take them outside. Give him
the opportunity to relieve himself again before you put him in
his crate. He will feel tired and comfortable after his meal and
play, and he may then be safely put in his crate. If he whines
or barks when the door of the crate is closed, tell him "QUIET"
and leave the room. He should settle down in a very short while.
The next time that is critical in house-training is when your
puppy wakes up after a long sleep; you must then be ready
to rush him out of doors. Most puppies will whimper when they
wake up, to show that they are ready for a pee, a play or a meal.
(It is absolutely vital that a young puppy should be kept warm
if you want him to become clean quickly; a cold puppy cannot control
his bladder.) Repeat the command and praise as stated above. If
you want him to only go in one area outside, when he happens to
go in that area praise him even more and give him two or three
extra food treats at that time. He will soon learn that you are
pleased when he goes outside but extremely happy when he goes
in one area. He quickly learns that if he relieves himself in
the right area, he gets more food treats and will soon try to
go there every time.
Next comes the vexed question as to what one should do when a
puppy makes a puddle on the floor. If you see him start to relieve
him inside say "OUTSIDE" in a commanding voice
and take him outside. Some people advise rubbing his nose in it.
What a wicked idea! Should the puppy make a puddle, immediately
take him out to his usual spot. This usual spot is another vital
link in the training chain. The puppy quickly connects this area
with his "jobs" and associations are quickly made. If,
after puddling on the floor, you take him outside and he does
it again outside, praise him fervently, and with great love in
your voice. We have our puppies sleep in our bedroom. This
is not only helpful in their house-training but they are quieter
and sleep longer than when they sleep somewhere else in the house.
We're able to rush the puppy immediately outside when he wakes
up, before he has a chance to soil his crate. As the puppy matures
his crate can be moved to another room in your home. Be sure to
take the puppy out to his favorite spot the last thing before
you go to bed.
Your house-training chore will be much easier if you don't let
the dog make mistakes. This means that you really have to watch
him every minute, or else confine him in his crate. Never allow
him to be in any room, when tiny, unless you are there to watch
him. Pop him back in his crate when you have to go out of
the room. It teaches him to lie quietly in one place, and he comes
to look upon it as his very own home. A dirty dog in the house
is usually a consequence of the owner's just not taking enough
trouble to watch the puppy and rush him out quickly. When leaving
the puppy alone at home for any length of time it is usually better
to secure him in a small room that would be easy to clean
if he cannot hold it until you return. This allows him to always
keep his crate clean. A small bathroom or such is appropriate
because this is a room that he will not be spending much time
in, if any, when he is well house-trained. The kitchen is usually
too big and you don't want him to feel that the kitchen is the
right place to relieve himself every time you leave him alone
for a few minutes.
If all this makes it sound too easy, that's not my intent. As
soon as you start trying to teach your puppy to do anything you'll
see why every dog trainer puts so much emphasis on patience. You
must understand that every time you reward your dog, you only
reinforce the behavior you praise. You don't ensure that he'll
do the same thing every time, or that he'll never make any mistakes
again. You simply increase the probability, by only a little bit,
that he'll do what you want the next time. Each positive reinforcement
increases the probability just a little bit more, but no one trial
ever has a very big effect. This kind of training, which concentrates
exclusively on positive reinforcement, doesn't bring the dramatic,
one trial results of some of the more negative methods. But the
negative methods can and usually do have long-term negative effects
of the personality and behavior of the dog. Swatting or shouting
at the puppy will make him behave in order to avoid your wrath.
Fear may make a noticeable, even a remarkable, change in him.
But your negative control may also teach him to hate and fear
YOU. He'll do things not to win you love and get closer to you,
but just to avoid punishment. He may even turn sneaky, stubborn
and mean. Once these characteristics are induced in an animal,
they're next to impossible to stamp out. For this reason, I
say emphatically, don't punish the dog when he messes! If
you see your puppy start to go in the house, tell him "OUTSIDE"
and quickly take him outside. Then praise him, as usual, for going
where he's supposed to.
During this sometimes trying period, there's only one thing you
must endeavor not to do: Lose your temper. Be prepared
for the zigzag course in the dog's learning. Just when you think
he has really got it down perfectly, that's when he'll make another
mistake. You'll feel exasperation, and there's nothing wrong with
feeling it, but be careful about expressing it to the dog. He'll
feel disapproval as a punishment, and react accordingly. As much
as you can, confine your expressions to approval of good behavior,
rather than disapproval of the bad behavior.
When he does start doing as he should give him a pat and a bit
of praise and occasionally a food treat. It won't do to make too
much of it, or the dog will expect effusive praise every time
he pees a drop or two. For the same reason, don't praise the puppy
every single time he goes, or he'll come to expect that from you
too. Sooner or later, you're bound to miss a time, and this will
confuse the dog: He's done the marvelous deed, and he hasn't received
his reward. The best expectation you can set up in him is that
this behavior usually gets him reinforcement. That will be enough
to get him to do it and keep him doing it even if your not there
to pat his head each and every time.
One must always be watching the puppy, and at the slightest
sign of sniffing around in an interested manner, must pick the
puppy up in one's arms and take him outside. There will be
accidents, though, no matter how closely you keep watch. If
you see the dog start to urinate or defecate, try the trick of
distracting him, then praising him if he stops. Immediately take
him outside so that he can do his duty in the proper place. But
if he succeeds in going in the house when your not looking, clean
the mess and ignore scolding the dog. Dogs only have a 30 second
memory so they will not know why you are angry at them. The
important part of this training method is positive reinforcement,
not negative. Above all, don't slap the puppy around or rub his
nose in his messes. That only teaches him hate and fear.
In any training, but especially in a matter as urgent as house
breaking, regularity and consistency are vital. The dog
should eat at regular intervals, and he should be taken out or
walked immediately after eating or waking up from a sleep. Be
sure you take him out before bedtime. In this way, the dog will
soon learn exactly what to expect, and what is expected of him.
This makes the job much easier for both of you. One word of caution:
It is unwise to be a perfectionist about this or any other
aspect of dog training.
There will always be lapses and mistakes. Sometimes a dog, even
a grown-up and well-trained one, will insist on peeing when he's
left in the house alone. If this happens, common sense dictates
that he be confined to his crate when you are not at home, or
otherwise distracted. If you react with violence or rage, it constitutes
a victory for the dog. He has succeeded in making you pay attention
to him. The best way to discourage such attempts to get your goat
is to ignore them as much as possible, except shouting "OUTSIDE"
and distracting him if you catch him in the act. If these acts
on the part of a fully trained, adult dog fail to get a rise out
of you, he'll leave off after a while. Often we must again start
from the beginning and rehouse-train the dog..... back to the
basics. This usually takes only a few days and he is back
to being your wonderful pet once again.
The first months of any new puppy's life are spent learning rudimentary
good manners. Of these, house-training and staying alone quietly
are probably the most important. Nevertheless, there are lots
and lots of other little things the pup learns before he ever
gets to basic behavior training (Puppy Party Classes). He learns
about his masters: What makes them happy or unhappy, and how to
tell which they are by the tone of voice and body attitude; he
learns his name, and lots of other words like "come,"
"no," "outside," "car," "dinner,"
and whichever others you use consistently with him; he learns
to play with the family in the way that pleases them.
Most of all, your puppy is a new member of your family. In order
for your association to be long and happy, he must learn to love
and trust his human friends. Time spent loving and playing with
your pup will be paid back in faithfulness all the years he lives
with you. Treat him well, cuddle and love him, and you will make
your job as a dog owner infinitely easier. And you'll be making
sure that you achieve the pleasure and companionship you were
seeking when you chose to get a puppy in the first place. For
both you and the puppy, the password is "Enjoy."
I would suggest reading the book Culture Clash
by Jean Donaldson, to get a better
understanding of why dogs do what they do and how to get them
to do what you want them to do. One think lacking in the
book is a good index to the topics
offered in the book. Go to: http://www.clickersolutions.com/clickersolutions/articles/tccindex.htm
for a wonderful index for the Culture Clash. I printed of a copy
of the index pages and tucked the index into my copy of Culture
Clash.
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