House Training Dogs

It takes a good deal of consistency, time, and loving patience to house train your dog. But the results are well worth the effort.

All dog lovers look forward to having a dog in the house, but it does come with a number of responsibilities. For example, house training dogs can be a frustrating experience that pushes the limits of your patience.  Fortunately, there are ways to handle the task without too much difficulty or loss of sleep.

The simple fact is, there is no "one size fits all" approach with house training your dog.

Just as people are unique individuals, each dog is also unique and different from each other. For this reason, you will need to consider your dog's temperament and personality when choosing the training techniques that will work best for your dog.

Be Consistent With Your Language

Be sure to use the same phrases in the same tone of voice to get desired actions.  For example, if you say "Let's go potty" or "Need to go potty?" in a friendly voice, then take him outside right away, your dog will start to associate your words with a trip outdoors.  While outdoors, your dog will naturally want to take a moment to squat down and let it all go.

Recognize Your Dog's Need to Go

One of the most popular ways of how to house train a dog is to simply recognize whenever he needs to go to the bathroom and take him outside at that time. For a young puppy, this typically occurs in the morning when he wakes up, when he is finished eating a meal, or after he is done playing.

Immediately after one of these times, take the young puppy outside and let him go to the bathroom.   Be sure to praise him when he is done. Don't punish the dog if he makes a mistake however, because accidents will happen. Be patient, be consistent, and continue to work with him every day.  He will gradually get the idea of what he is supposed to do.

Newspaper Training

House training dogs using newspaper has been used for many years, with a high degree of success. Here's how to do it.

Simply put some newspaper by the door to get the dog used to going to that area when he needs to go potty. As the dog gets used to the newspaper, you can eventually move the paper outside of the door, which will teach your dog that he needs to go a little bit further than the door to relieve himself.

The downside of using this form of house training is that you will have to clean up after him, and you can expect a few accidents on the floor until he gets accustomed to going outside.

Crate Training

Another way to house train dogs is with crate training. Some people may object to this form of house training, perhaps because they feel it is cruel or inhumane to keep the dog confined in a small area. In reality however, a dog loves having his own personal area. You will see that he will quickly become accustomed to the box and end up going there on his own to be in his own space.

The beauty of crate training is that a dog will not normally want to go potty in an area where he lives. Your dog has a natural instinct to keep his living space clean and will not defecate or urinate when confined to a small space, especially near his sleeping area.

The key to using this method successfully is to choose a crate that is the right size for the dog. It needs to be big enough to fit comfortably, but not so large that it gives him an area to relieve himself within the crate.

Modify Methods as Needed

Of course, you can modify these different ways of house training dogs in order to meet your own personal needs. As you continue to learn more about your new dog and recognize what is and is not working, you are sure to fall into a pattern that will help to make house training bearable for the both of you.