Housetraining
Whether you have a young puppy or an untrained, older, dog, housetraining is necessary. And for both young and old, the method is very similar. You must teach your dog to discriminate toileting inside from toileting outside. To begin with, feed your dog on a regular schedule. What goes in on schedule, also goes out on schedule. The last meal of the day should take place at least three hours before bedtime. Remove your dog’s water dish about two hours before bedtime as well. Then, determine a schedule for taking your dog in and out, and stick to it. I suggest taking the dog outside every one to two hours initially. Also, take the dog outside immediately after s/he wakes up, after s/he eats or drinks, after s/he plays, and before bed. Gradually you can extend the amount of time between trips outside to three or four hours, but at first a frequent schedule can be helpful. Each time you take the dog outside, lead the dog through the house to the yard the same way and take the dog to the area in your yard where you want the dog to eliminate. Wait for the dog to toilet. Immediately after the dog eliminates, praise the dog.
When the dog is indoors, supervise at all times. If you are unable to supervise your dog, then put the dog in his or her crate. Most dogs will not soil their crates so this is often a safe place for your dog to be when you can’t watch your dog to prevent accidents. An alternative to a crate is a leash attached to your belt. This is referred to as an “umbilical cord.” This will keep the dog with you so that you can observe what the dog is doing. If your dog starts to eliminate in the house while you are watching, clap your hands loudly to interrupt the behavior then lead the dog outside like usual and praise the dog for eliminating. Do not punish your dog! You will simply teach the dog that eliminating in your presence is dangerous and results in random attacks. Remember, going to the bathroom is inherently reinforcing to the dog because it relieves the discomfort of a full bladder. If you punish the dog when s/he goes in your presence, you will probably teach your dog to sneak off and eliminate out of view. You may also have trouble getting your dog to eliminate while being walked on a leash. This can make traveling with your dog difficult. If you find a mess in your house, again, punishing the dog will be ineffective. The dog already eliminated and that event in itself was rewarding to the dog. By finding the dog and dragging him or her to the mess, then punishing the dog, you will only confuse your dog. S/he will not understand why you suddenly attacked him or her and may learn to avoid you. Simply clean up the mess with an enzyme cleaner such as Simple Solution, then vow to watch your dog more closely when the dog is loose indoors. With diligent supervision, preventing soiling indoors and praising the dog for toileting outdoors, your will successfully housetrain your dog.
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