Dog Training > Dog House Training > Dog House Training

Dog House Training

Dog house training is by far the concern expressed most often by new dog owners. Everyone wants to know the secret of successful dog house training. Usually they start searching for solutions in earnest after giving the ineffective methods a try--like spanking the puppy after it goes in the house, rubbing it's nose in the accident, or putting papers down in the laundry room. There is no magic formula for successful dog house training, but there is an effective process that will get the desired results in a relatively short period of time.

The need to use the bathroom is a natural biological function. Up to the age of eight weeks, puppies really have little bowel or bladder control. But after that, their control develops rapidly. Obviously, this is a good time to really work on dog house training.

The desire to keep their sleeping area clean is instinctive in dogs. You can use this instinct to your advantage in the process of dog house training. Most dog training experts recommend the use of dog crates for quick and effective dog house training. But if there's some good reason for not using a crate in your situation, dog house training is possible without one.

All successful dog training is based on the concept of rewarding and reinforcing desired behaviors, and dog house training is no different. If you reward your puppy with a food treat when he urinates outside, then the next time his bladder stimulates his need to urinate, he'll want to go outside again to get another treat.

Dog house training should start right away when you bring your new puppy or dog home. In fact, you should take him to the preferred "spot" before you ever take him in the house. Let him sniff around a bit, and if you're lucky enough that he decides to use the bathroom, then reward him with a small food treat.

Once inside, here's what needs to happen for successful dog house training. Set an alarm to go off every hour. Take your dog outside and see if he'll use the bathroom. Give him five minutes or so. If he does, reward him. If not, go back in, but then take him out again about 10 minutes later. Do this every 10 minutes until he does use the bathroom. Reward and praise him when he does. In addition to this, take your dog outside when he wakes up, after eating and drinking, or after a period of playtime. Keep an eye on your dog at other times to watch for any body language that suggests he needs to go to the bathroom.

If you can't watch him for some period of time, then put him in a small confined area like a playpen. Whatever you choose, you should also put in his bed and a bowl of water. Remember, you're using his instinct to not soil his sleeping area. (And now you see why so many trainers recommend dog crates for dog house training.)

As you may have figured out by now, the process of dog house training is anticipating when your dog is about to go to the bathroom. By taking him outside at that point, you're giving him a chance to succeed (by using the bathroom outside the house). When you consistently praise his good behavior, then he will quickly learn to anticipate the need to go out on his own.

Dog house training will take some patience and observation for a couple of weeks. But when you appropriately reinforce your dog's desired behavior, dog house training will be over before you know it.