By Heidi Clayton
For many people, housebreaking can be one of the most frustrating parts of owning a puppy. I promise, it really is easy.
Here are the dos and don’ts of the Four on the Floor housebreaking program.
THE DOS
Hang a bell from a long ribbon on the knob of the door you want the puppy to use and ring it every time you go outside. Puppies need a way to tell you they have to go outside, and if you aren’t paying attention you could miss a potty opportunity.
Take your puppy out frequently and stay outside with them.
When the puppy goes potty, immediately reward them with treats. I say “good potty” and give them three little treats.
Don’t assume your puppy will go potty if you simply put them outside and leave them. Puppies get distracted when outside and totally forget to go. Once back inside where it’s nice and quiet, they pee a river. The humans get annoyed, shouting that “we were just outside for hours,” to which the puppy responds, “yeah, I know, but I was busy chasing squirrels and it’s nice and quiet in here.” If you go out and the puppy doesn’t potty, try putting them into the crate when back inside for about 10 minutes and then try again.
Don’t wait until you are back inside to treat the puppy for going potty outside. If you do that you are actually giving them a treat for merely being inside. Reward them as soon as they are done going.
Limit their freedom in the house and keep them crated when you can’t watch them. Giving your puppy a 2,000-square-foot area of room and expecting them to hold it is crazy and unreasonable.
THE DON’TS
Never shame your puppy for having an accident in the house. Puppies do not understand that they are being yelled at for going potty inside the house and just think you’re a lunatic who is yelling at them for the actual act of going to the bathroom. Yelling at them will result in puppy sneaking off to go potty in a spot that is free from the prying eyes of the mean person who yells at them for going to the bathroom.
If you yell at them inside, your puppy will think you are going to yell at them when they have to pee, whether inside or out, and decide to hold it until they are alone.
Never rub their nose in it. It is cruel and sick and does not teach the puppy anything but that you’re an awful, terrifying person who rubs their face in their excrement.
Avoid pee pads if you want the puppy to exclusively go outside. Unless consistently rewarded for going on the pads, they will not understand the difference between a pee pad and your bath mat.
Yes, accidents are going to happen. But if you follow these easy steps with your puppy, they will be ringing the bells to potty outside in no time.
Heidi Clayton is a retired 25-year veteran of the Atlantic City Police Department. She started Four on the Floor Dog Training as a result of her own struggle to find a positive and reward based dog trainer in South Jersey. She is passionate about giving every dog, even the difficult ones, a voice and the skills they need to thrive in life. She breeds, trains, and shows her own bull terriers under the SoraBully’s kennel name.
Heidi Clayton is a retired 25 year veteran of the Atlantic City Police Department. She started Four on the Floor Dog Training a result of her own struggle to find a positive & reward based dog trainer in the South Jersey area. She is passionate about giving every dog, even the difficult ones, a voice and the skills they need to thrive in life. She breeds, trains, and shows her own Bull Terriers under the SoraBullys’s Kennel Name.
