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Potty Training a Dog: How do I House Train My Puppy?

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Summary: 99.9% of all dogs can be house trained and yet there are hundreds of thousands abandoned by people who claim their dog couldn't be trained. They just haven’t tried hard enough to train their dog or have not had the patience to do it right. We give you some ideas to try in this popular article.

If you are looking to have a good companion, you definitely will need to make certain your dog is completely house trained. You cannot expect a puppy to just train itself and do it over night. Until a puppy is trained to go where you want them to go, they will just go whenever and wherever the urge comes. They are not programmed to know if they are standing on that rare piece of luxurious carpet.

Throughout this article, we will be discussing three house training techniques for you to try. They are the following:
  • Crate Training
  • Paper or Pad Training
  • Litter Box Training
Crate training teaches the puppy to eliminate outside, whereas paper training is usually considered an intermediate step. Litter box training is simply that. You train your puppy to use a dog litter box.

Crate training is fairly simple. Crates become your puppy’s personal den. Dogs instinctively will not want to soil their “den”. Unless you leave your puppy in the crate too long, he or she will not have an “accident” in the "crate". You need to take your puppy outside frequently to the same spot for him to eliminate. Taking the puppy to the same spot each time will reinforce its desire to potty since it can smell what happened there last time. Some even use the words like “potty” or “hurry up” or “its time” while their puppy is doing his or her business. They do that so that when the puppy is in an unfamiliar place it will know what is expected when he or she hears those same words.

By using crate training your puppy will learn to control its urge to go until he or she is outside. Puppies need to eliminate often, so take them out quite often at first. Gradually, your dog will be able to wait for longer periods of time. Once your puppy is totally housebroken you can leave the crate door open during the day. Your puppy will probably choose to use the crate for naps and quiet time alone.

Paper or pad training is training the puppy to eliminate on a pad or on newspaper. You need a small room or part of a room in which you will cover the floor with newspapers. The puppy will need to be confined to that space. When your dog soils on the paper, pick it up and dispose of most of it leaving a small part (1/3) of the paper that is soiled on top of a clean paper. The puppy will instinctively go back to that spot where it smells its urine and do it again. Keep up that process.

You can use a potty pad that is especially made for puppies. The puppy pads come with a non-skid tray to put them in. You either spray a product or sprinkle a product especially made to help your puppy want to go on the pad. There are many different products on the market to help assist in puppy training.

Cherrybrook has a product from called 'Puppy Training Pads' that come in a 30 pack. They measure 23 inches by 24 inches. The product contains super absorbent polymers which convert liquid into gel to prevent leakage and are treated to attract your puppy to the proper potty spot. After a day or two, leave a small part of the floor bare. If your puppy does not use the bare floor to potty, then you can gradually take away more papers until you have only one or two newspapers spread out for your puppy to potty on.
Litter box training is great for those who live in condos, high rise apartments, or who have physical problems that make it hard to get out often. Litter box training works best for those who have a small pet.

You can purchase or make a dog litter training box and fill it with dog litter. The dog litter will contain smells that makes a dog want to use the litter box. Set up the litter box in a convenient place; introduce your puppy to the litter box. Try to catch him or her the first few times he or she needs to go and place them in the box.

PetSmart has a product from Ralston Purina called 'Second Nature Dog Litter'. They also sell the dog litter pan as well. When your dog has successfully done his or her “business”, praise and reward them with a treat. The dog litter box is used in the same way a cat litter box is used. It is important to keep it clean. "The Second Nature Dog Litter System is an easy, clean, convenient alternative for busy dog owners. Three years of testing and development have gone into the creation of Second Nature to ensure its effectiveness. Made from natural, non-toxic and super absorbent recycled paper, it's dust-free and non-tracking."
There are pads on the market that puppies can wear around in the house which are really absorbent and protect your floors while you are training your puppy. This is a great idea for the owner that does not want to confine their puppy, but would like to give him or her free reign of their newfound castle. One of these products is carried at Cherrybrook. It is called 'PoochPants'. It is described as, "protects floors, carpets, and furniture. Great for housetraining, incontinent or geriatric dogs."
Another option for your puppy are disposable diapers for dogs. PetSmart carries a product by Simple Solution. They describe it as, "these diapers are comfortable and secure with a super absorbent polymer that converts liquid into gel to prevent leakage. Repositionable tabs will not stick to your dog's fur. Perfect no-leak fit!"

"Disposable diapers eliminate messes from females in season, untrained puppies, excitable urination, and incontinence. These diapers are perfect for travel, while also being comfortable and secure. Repositionable tabs will not stick to your pet's fur. They offer a no-leak fit for your pet!"

When your puppy inevitably makes a mistake on your floor, don't worry, there are products to help you clean it up. There are many great products that help in odor control and many other wonderful products that help in removing stains. We'll discuss these in a future article.

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