Each puppy picks up this skill at a different pace, but all dogs are very capable of learning how.  All members of the family need to be on board to let puppy outside at frequent, predictable intervals, and everyone needs to help supervise puppy closely indoors. If close supervision is not possible, even for a few minutes, keep puppy confined to a crate. The number-one goal of house training is to prevent accidents, and this can only be done with close supervision. Watch your puppy for signals that he’s getting ready to potty, such as circling, sniffing, or barking.

For your best chances of success, take your puppy to the designated potty area:

• First thing in the morning
• 5-15 minutes after meals or drinking
• Anytime you take him out of his crate
• During periods of intense play/excitement
• After naps

If you find an accident, remember: it’s not the puppy’s fault! Never punish puppy for accidents, as he will not understand why you’re upset. Instead, clean the accident with an enzymatic cleaner to remove any lingering odor that may draw him back to the same spot.

Remember, you need to be with puppy when he does his business in the right place, and immediately reward him with lots of praise and at least two yummy treats.

Think of the crate as puppy’s own private room or den, and you will see why, when introduced correctly, dogs love their crates! To help make your puppy’s introduction to crate training a positive one, start by tossing a yummy treat into the crate and letting your puppy wander in to get it. Repeat this 8-10 times before closing the door for a few seconds. Gradually increase the duration of time that puppy is closed in the crate from a few seconds to a few minutes.

To keep puppy content in his crate, offer him an appropriate chew toy, such as a Kong stuffed with some reduced-fat peanut butter, apple sauce, or other yummy ingredients. Freezing the Kong will make it last longer. Better yet, offer this yummy toy/treat onlywhen puppy is in his crate.

The goal of crate training is to teach puppy that he can entertain himself and be alone without feeling panicked. It is important for puppy to sleep in his crate, and not in bed with you. Some crying will be expected, especially at first, but as long as you’re sure he doesn’t need to be let outside to potty, ignore his behavior. To help him feel a little less stressed, you can try covering the crate with a heavy blanket (keep in mind some puppies prefer a more open crate), playing some music or white noise, tucking a hot water bottle in a blanket with the puppy in the crate (make sure he doesn’t chew it up!), and either keeping the crate in the bedroom with you, or in another room within hearing distance (so puppy can tell you if he needs to go out in the middle of the night).  He does not need water overnight.
If puppy is having accidents in the crate, make sure the crate is an appropriate size. He should have enough room to get up, turn around, and lay down. If he’s still having accidents, you may be asking him to hold it too long, or his stress level is too high and he can’t “hold it”.  Consider creating a long-term confinement arrangement:

• Choose a puppy-proofed room (bathroom, laundry room, etc.) or set up an exercise pen
• Place puppy’s crate (leave open) in it
• Offer entertaining toys (such as treat-stuffed Kong)
• Offer an appropriate “bathroom” for puppy to use, such as a litterbox that has grass, or sod, in it. Pee pads are more likely to get shredded rather than used for their intended purpose.
• Water should be available if puppy will be left alone more than 2 hours.

This will encourage puppy to keep his crate clean and will also facilitate house training.

I often hear new puppy owners express concern about their puppy’s apparent inability to catch on to house training. Today’s call was from the owner of a 7-month old neutered male dachshund.  Here are some of the tips I suggested:

1. Use the “umbilical cord” method–this means keeping his leash on and attaching it either to your belt or a chair, thus restricting his free-range. A dog who is not house-trained should not be allowed to have free-range of the home because the potential for an accident is too great. We must set them up to succeed–and this means not even allowing them the opportunity to have an accident!
2. Supervise constantly! An accident can occur in just a fraction of a second, so if you’re busy talking on the phone or cleaning up the kitchen, you may not be able to watch your puppy closely. This is where crate training is so helpful. Put your puppy in its kennel until you can pay more direct attention to him.
3. You must be present when you take the puppy outside to potty–you can’t just let him out in the backyard and praise him when he comes back in. They need instant gratification–it’s like a party when he goes in the right place! Use a really happy voice and give him 3 little treats in quick succession! “Wow, that was really great, you are such a smart puppy!”
4. If the puppy must be left alone longer than we can reasonably expect him to “hold it”, we must create a long-term confinement area. This is usually a small room such as a bathroom or laundry room that is puppy-proofed. Set your puppy’s crate in here and leave the crate door open. Offer an appropriate potty area. I recommend offering a litterbox with grass or sod in it. There’s nothing else in the house like this (unlike puppy pee pads, which can resemble carpet), so it helps teach him that grass is the best type of surface to relieve himself on.

Most importantly, be consistent, be persistent, and be patient! Good luck!