There are several ways to go about house training your dog but the most common are, Crate Training, Direct Method Training and the Paper Training Method.
Of all these approaches to house training, Crate Training is arguably the most effective and least stressful for everyone involved. Including your dog.
To begin you need a suitable crate. The requirements are;
It must allow the dog to see out at least most of the way around.
It must be just big enough for him to stretch out, stand up straight and turn around, but no bigger. If he has a crate large enough he'll appropriate part of it for sleeping and the rest as a toilet area. If the crate you have is too large to fit the requirements you may be able to partition a portion off so your dog doesn't have access to that area.
It must be escape proof so he can't get out when you aren't looking. If he can get out of the crate the whole exercise is pointless.
You can get these crates at pet stores, discount stores and online or make one yourself. Many people use the type of crates used for transporting pets or collapsible wire models.
The principle is extremely simple. In the beginning, if your puppy isn't eating, drinking, relieving himself or actively playing with you, he's in the crate. He has no unsupervised time on the outside that could result in an accident.
He'll usually take the crated period as an opportunity to nap and spend at least a couple of hours inside at a time. Take him out for a toilet break when he wakes up but let him sleep if he isn't awake at the end of the two hours. When he does wake up, immediately take him out for a toilet break.
If it’s time for a meal, feed him and have some supervised playtime.
It's a good idea to give him another chance to relieve himself about 30 minutes after eating or drinking and just before he goes back inside the crate. Gradually, as the puppy gets a little older the time periods will extend. The outside time will reach three to four hours and he can also stay in the crate longer as he progresses.
The reason crate training is so successful is that it enforces the scheduling of his toilet breaks and cuts down on the chance of accidents. He doesn't have much opportunity to fail because you are vigilantly watching for body language that will alert you if he needs to go outside during the times that he isn't in the crate.
It's an effective way to communicate exactly what's required of the puppy using behavior that is instinctual, which makes it easier and more comfortable for him to learn.
Dogs, even small puppies, won't soil their sleeping place if it can be avoided so it's a good way to get him functioning on a routine that will be completely natural as time goes on.
Remember that you have the leading role here. It's your responsibility to see that he has an opportunity to relieve himself at regular intervals. This way he doesn't have the chance to sneak away and have an accident when you aren't looking because you're with him at all times when he isn't in the crate.
Other methods of house training aren't as effective as the crate but they do work if you're extremely diligent.
The Direct Method is simply watching the puppy constantly and offering regular opportunities to go outside. Puppies need to relieve themselves about every one to two hours and you can learn to spot indicative behaviors such as circling, sniffing the floor and trying to sneak away that indicate they need to go. Early on the toilet breaks will be very close together as young puppies don't yet have much control of their bodily functions. Grown dogs can go much longer between breaks, up to nine hours, but they're far more comfortable on a four hour schedule.
The least effective method of house training is the paper method. The theory here is to allow your puppy to go on a floor covered with newspaper. At first the whole floor is covered. Gradually, you reduce the size of the paper until it's only a small square and your puppy has learned to use it reliably. At that point you begin moving the paper closer to the door and eventually on outside. When that's been successful for a couple of weeks you remove the paper from the equation. In some cases, even after finishing the training and becoming reliable to toilet outside, the dog will occasionally revert and use a paper that happens to be on the floor or just go inside. After all, that was what he was originally trained to do. This method can be useful if the owner has some major difficulty getting the dog outside or for very small dogs who continue to go inside all their lives.
It's not a good solution for larger breeds. If your breed, no matter what size, is considered hard to house train skip this option. Hounds, terriers and many toy breeds fall into this category.
The most important thing to remember with all house training is that you have to be very pro-active and vigilant. Always praise your dog for the correct behavior. Make toilet time something for him to look forward to. Never reprimand him for an accident unless you catch him in the act. Even five seconds later is too late as dogs don't conceptualize time like we do.
If you do catch him in mid maneuver calmly interrupt the action with a firm word and take him outside. Try to minimize the number of slips by being extremely consistent and watchful.
Always be patient and positive as you help him learn what's expected so you can both relax. A little dog house training and especially while your pet is young, and you will have a very Happy Home.
Training, Direct Method Training and the Paper Training Method.
