House-Training Your New Dog

Out of the goodness of your heart, and because you needed a new best friend, or maybe because the kids begged and nagged incessantly, you picked up a great new dog at the animal shelter. Good for you! Soon, after you've brought him home, it sinks in, the responsibilities of feeding, watering, exercising, cleaning and cleaning up after. Most dog owners like their animal to be able to be indoors, even if it's intended to be an outdoor dog, without having "accidents." Well, dogs do what dogs do, and it's your job to teach them where and when to do it.

For the sake of this article we're going to assume you have an older puppy or adult dog. Advice on puppy training can be found just about anywhere. So what about that dog who's been picked up as a stray and lived in a kennel for the last few months? He probably has no idea what's expected of him. Any old corner of the house will work just as well as his kennel back at the pound. That simply won't do for you, however, and you are determined to housetrain your new pet.

1. Crate train your new dog. Just as if it were a puppy, your dog needs to learn the rules and his role in the household before he's allowed to roam the house free. Crate training is extremely simple and effective way to house-train a dog, even a grown one.

a. Make sure the crates not too large. Here's where people get soft-hearted, and completely without reason. The crate or kennel needs to be big enough for them to stand up in, turn around and lie down. If a kennel is too big, it will not work for house-training. Your dog will simply assume that the extra space is for him to do his duties. He understands how much space he needs and will use the extra for his bathroom. Dogs are genetically inclined to be den dwellers, and the den didn't consist of a giant cave. A small closed in hole, a hollow tree trunk, under a large root or in a shallow wash are all places a wild dog will den. Now understand this, because you gave him such a small place to sleep in, make sure he gets his exercise. Depending on breed, size and age, you may need to spend an hour or more every day exercising your dog. Brisk walks, games of fetch, free time in an enclosed yard, or just a good romp make sure he gets his exercise, and will probably help you stay in shape as well.

b. Don't give in. You're dog needs to spend time in his kennel. Until he is completely house-broken he gets NO unsupervised time in the house. He may whine and bark, but just let him do it. It's like a baby. Baby's cry. The first time you give in because he or she is barking in his kennel will more than likely establish a strong precedent in his canine brain, and he will be very hard to break of that habit. It's common in movies to see the dog sleeping at the foot of his master's bed. Not a good idea. Keep him in the crate overnight. It's temporary and it's for everyone's best interests.

c. The crate is not punishment. If your dog has an accident in the house, don't throw him in the crate. He won't understand and will simply start hating the crate. You should try to establish the crate as his safe-haven where only good things happen. (Other than being left out of all the fun in the house.) A good idea is to give him a treat every time you put him in it. Eventually he'll probably figure that one out and go in there just to get the reward. Feed him in the crate with it closed. You can leave the water out; he'll probably just get his bed wet.

d. When the dog is allowed in the house, use a long leash or rope at all times. Make sure you're paying attention to the dog and watch for signs that he may need to go. Sniffing in corners and of course squatting. (It may be too late by then.) If you catch him in the act you can scold him and give him a corrective yank on the leash, and take him outside to finish. If you don't catch him, forget about it. Just clean it up and carry on. Rubbing his nose in it isn't going to help at all. Dogs rub their own nose in it in case you haven't noticed. Besides, he won't associate his action with yours.

2. Provide them the opportunity to do right. Once you've established the crate as his home, and given him no option to soil it without soiling his sleeping quarters, you have to make sure he gets the opportunity to go when he needs to. As a rule, puppies can hold their bladder for about an hour for every month of their age plus one, up till about 10 hours. So if you have a 2 month old puppy, don't expect him to hold it for more than 3 hours. A young adult or adult should be able to hold it through the night without you getting up to take him out. Some breeds are different. Smaller dogs, bassets and cocker spaniels tend to have weak bladders. Getting upset with them for that is not going to help at all. Just accept that you will have to let them out more often. Also, you don't need to leave water in your dogs kennel all night. After 7 or 8 p.m. they don't need to be watered. Even an adult dog will have trouble going through the night if he's had a big drink of water right before bed.

a. Establish a pattern. First thing in the morning, get up, take the dog out. Put him back in his kennel for breakfast. After about an hour, he probably needs to go again. So if you're on a 9-5 work schedule, take him out first thing, give him his breakfast, get yourself ready and then take him back out before you head off. If it's a puppy, again, don't expect it to go the whole day without going. Either get a dog-sitter or neighbor to let it out at least once while you're gone, or find a way to let it stay outside while you're at work. Newspapers and the absorbent potty-pads are a bad idea. The dog won't get used to going outside exclusively if it's allowed to go inside sometimes. Take the dog out when you get home, and again about an hour after dinner, and then again right before bed. If the pups not full-grown you'll need to set an alarm and take it out in the night. Use the age plus one to figure out how many times you may have to get up. A four month old puppy should only need to be let out once during the night.

3. Positive reinforcement. When you take the dog out for his bathroom breaks, make it understood it's not playtime. If he doesn't go after 5 minutes, go back inside, either the crate or on the leash, and try again in an hour. If he does go, praise him afterward and give him a treat. Don't do it too early. If you're dogs excitable he may forget to finish. Every time he goes outside he gets praised and a treat. Try not to forget to take one out at 3 a.m. Soon your dog will understand that his kennel and the house are not the bathroom. His designated portion of the yard is. Dogs are smarter than we give them credit for. We just have to know how to explain ourselves to them.

4. Keep his area clean. If the part of the yard that he's going in is too messy, he'll stop going there, and that could lead to house accidents. The same thing goes for a dog that you keep in an outdoor kennel or run. If it's not clean they'll wait until they find someplace clean, like behind the couch.

House-training is one of the most important parts of the initial training of your dog. It helps to establish you as the pack leader. You facilitate his need to relieve himself, and he will appreciate it. Consistency and patience are the keys to this task. All family members need to be on the same page. Anyone who takes him out needs to understand the reward and praise method and the importance of keeping to a schedule. Hopefully you'll have many years of fun and love with your new friend, free from house accidents. Good luck.