How To House Break A Puppy

By: Lori Boyd

Break Studios Contributing Writer

Many pet owners don't know how to housebreak a puppy because they often think their new pet will figure it out for himself. While that may be true in some cases, oftentimes the puppy will never outgrow his habit of relieving himself inside the home. Learning to housebreak a puppy is easy, but you will need some time and patience to properly train your pet.

To effectively house break a puppy, you will need:

Dog crate
Collar and leash
Odor neutralizer
Indoor pet repellent
Doggie walk bags

As soon as your puppy finishes his meal, take him outside. Dogs normally like to relive themselves after eating. Take your puppy out on a leash and choose a spot where you would like him to regularly relieve himself.
Allow him ample time to do his business. Puppies do not have full control of bowels just yet. Let him walk around. If he relieves himself, give him a lot of praise and positive reinforcement. If he does not, simply take him back inside.
Whether or not your dog did his business outside, place your puppy back in his crate. Dogs are normally clean animals and do not want to soil their immediate surroundings. Don't allow him to roam around the house unescorted just yet.
Take him out again after a while. Take him out in one to two hours if he did not relieve himself earlier or three to four hours if he did. Aside from right after eating, dogs also feel the urge to relieve themselves after sleeping and exercise.
It helps your puppy to connect an action to a verbal command. While he does his business use the phrase, "Go potty" or a similar phrase. He will eventually equate the phrase with the action.
When he does relieve himself, clean up after him. Always remember to bring your doggie walk bags and dispose of the bags properly.
Develop a routine. Try to feed him and take him out for walks at approximately the same time every day. Just because he relieves himself once at his designated spot does not necessarily mean your puppy has mastered his training.
Be observant. Once your puppy gets comfortable with his routine, you will find that he will also want to relieve himself at certain times of the day. Watch out for warning signs: barking, whining, circling and/or pawing at the ground. This behavior might indicate his need to go out right away.
Mistakes do and will happen. Your puppy isn't perfect! Simply clean up the area with a mild cleanser and wipe it down with an odor neutralizer to avoid tempting your puppy from using that spot as a bathroom in the future. Finally, spray it down with a pet-safe, indoor repellent. Think of it as insurance. The strong smell will keep him well away from the area.
Be patient. It may take a couple of weeks to a couple of months to fully housebreak a puppy. When he is housebroken, that is the right time to allow him to run around and explore the house unattended.