Puppy Skills Training #3
Housetraining
The downside of the bundle of cuddles that is a puppy is their tendency to poo and piddle in the house. Correcting this and teaching a young puppy where the right place to toilet comes under the banner of house-training.
Modern methods of house-training make use of the puppy's instinct not to soil his den and to wee where he's gone before. However, you must remember that a young puppy, especially under 8 weeks of age has little conscious bladder control. Start training right away, but you are more likely to make headway once he reaches 8 weeks old.
Indeed, house training is considered in three phases:
8 - 9 weeks old - Learn where the toilet is
9 - 12 weeks - Learn bladder control
I3 - 6 months - Extend where the puppy is allowed to roam in the house
A Warning about Punishment
Punishment doesn't work. In fact, punishment sets back house training.
To be effective a punishment is only a deterrent if it happens at the exact moment of the bad deed. Unfortunately, tempting as it is to chastise a puppy caught in the act of squatting on the carpet, it doesn't work.
The puppy associates the punishment with you, not the carpet, and learns you have an irrational dislike of his bodily functions. This makes him want to 'hang on' when you are about and when you put him out into the yard he's going to be doing his level best not to wee in your presence. Thus, punishment sets training back, rather than helps.
Another drawback of punishment is the puppy learns to be sneaky. He is more likely to hide behind a sofa and wee, than do it in plain sight. This makes cleaning up afterwards much more difficult.
Training stage I
The aim is to teach a young puppy where the right place to toilet is. Give him plenty of opportunity to wee in the yard, which means taking him outside every 20 - 30 minutes. (Set an alarm to remind you.) When he does squat on the grass, a coincidence at first, give him praise or a treat.
If you take him out and he doesn't go, take him outside every 10-15 minutes until the happy event occurs.
In between times, use his instinct not to soil his den and put him in the crate. If you let him out to play, at the first sign of sniffing scoop him up and whisk him outdoors.
At night, set the alarm for every 4 hours. Pick the puppy up and pop him outside, then put him back into the crate with a minimum of fuss. (You don't want to give him the idea that night time toilets are also play time.)
Training stage II
The puppy hopefully now understands the right place to relieve himself is outdoors. As he develops the ability to control his bladder, start to stretch out the time between toilet trips. At night you can go for 6 hours between visits, extending by 15 minutes at a time.
When he goes outside and squats, start using a command phrase, such as 'Toilet time'. This builds an association between his wees, and a verbal command followed by a treat.
Training stage III
As the puppy's bladder control improves, you can start to let him explore the house. Keep him under close observation, so you can scoop him up if he starts to squat. Start in rooms with a washable floor (and not too far from the door to the yard) and as he proves he can be trusted, let him into carpeted rooms.
Toilet breaks
To reduce the chances of a puppy less than 6 months getting 'caught short', give him frequent toilet breaks. Pop him outside and use your command words.
Suggested times for a toilet break are:
When he wakes up
After play
Before and after eating
If it's been a while since the last toilet break