Housebreaking Your Puppy: A Positive Step-By-Step Guide

By Norma Jeanne Laurette

Potty training is one of the first and most important lessons your puppy will learn. Puppies don't instinctively know where you want them to eliminate, so successful housebreaking depends on patience, consistency, supervision and positive reinforcement. The goal is to build good habits from the very beginning. For more information about positive training see my article Positive Dog Training: The Science, Ethics & Proven Results. 
 
Instead of punishing accidents, focus on preventing them and rewarding your puppy every time it eliminates in the correct place. Every successful trip outside strengthens the habit you want, while punishment only creates fear, damages trust and often causes puppies to hide when they need to eliminate. For more information about the consequences of punishment see our first book Blueprint To A Happy Dog. 
 
One of the keys to success is taking your puppy outside frequently. Puppies should be taken out first thing in the morning, before bedtime, after eating or drinking, after naps, after play sessions, after leaving their crate or confinement area, and whenever they begin sniffing, circling or showing signs they need to go. In the early stages, taking your puppy out every 15 minutes while awake helps prevent accidents before they happen.
 
Each potty break should follow the same routine. Use a leash, take your puppy to the same elimination area every time, and use a consistent cue such as "Outside." When your puppy finishes eliminating, calmly praise it while it's going, then immediately reward it with treats, play and affection once it has finished. If your puppy doesn't eliminate, return inside for a few minutes while maintaining supervision before trying again.
 
Teaching your puppy to ring a bell at the door is another helpful communication tool. By gently encouraging your puppy to touch the bell before every trip outside, many puppies quickly learn to ring it on their own when they need to go out.

​Close supervision is essential throughout the housebreaking process. Until your puppy is completely reliable, it should always be within sight when loose in the house. 

​Close supervision is essential throughout the housebreaking process. Until your puppy is completely reliable, it should always be within sight when loose in the house. When supervision isn't possible, use an appropriately sized crate or a safe exercise pen. Some puppies adapt well to crate training, while others are more comfortable with passive paper training in a larger puppy-proofed area. Choose the method that best suits your individual puppy. For more information about crate training see my article How To Crate Train A Puppy & Why A Crate Is Only One Option. 
 
If you catch your puppy having an accident, calmly interrupt with your outside cue and immediately take it outdoors. Never punish accidents. Punishment creates stress, anxiety and fear while making house training more difficult. If accidents continue or return after your puppy has been successful, consult your veterinarian to rule out medical conditions such as urinary tract infections or other health problems before assuming it is strictly a training issue.
 
A few simple management techniques can also make housebreaking easier. Feed regular meals rather than leaving food available all day, offer water on a schedule, avoid food and water shortly before bedtime, provide appropriate chew toys and enrichment, and keep a record of accident-free days. Tracking progress makes it easier to gradually increase the time between bathroom breaks as your puppy becomes more reliable. For 50 canine enrichment options see my article entitled Canine Enrichment: Best Options For Mental Stimulation & Boredom Prevention. 
 
Every puppy learns at a different pace. Some are house trained within a few weeks, while others require several months. Consistency, patience and positive reinforcement are the keys to long-term success.
 
References 

(R1) Dunbar, Dr. Ian. Housetraining. James & Kenneth Publishers, 1986.
(R2) Dunbar, Dr. Ian. Housetraining Supplement. James & Kenneth Publishers, 1986.
(R3) International Animal Studies Behavior Course, 1994.
(R4) Pryor, Karen. clickertraining.com/node/289.
 
Photo by Norma Jeanne Laurette