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How to House Train Your Puppy

housetraining

Need to house train your puppy?

Potty training problems can be frustrating.We’re on our 16th service dog in-training and I’ve had plenty of practice at house training — I’ve developed an efficient and easy system.

I think puppy owners underestimate the number of times a puppy needs to go outside to do his business, which then results in accidents all over the house. The more times your puppy goes to the bathroom indoors, the more “ok” going to the bathroom inside seems to your pup. By the way, this article applies to adult dogs, too, who (for whatever reason) haven’t been house trained.

A schedule is critical for house training success.

Your pup’s potty training will take a lot longer if you don’t stick to a consistent schedule. You need to schedule two primary events:

  1. meals
  2. trips outside

What goes in, must come out. Put your dog’s food down at his regularly scheduled meal time, give him 15 – 20 minutes to eat his meal, then pick up the bowl until the next feeding. Letting the pup graze into his food bowl (called free feeding) sets your pup up for house training failures.

Scheduling the meals at specific intervals gives you the advantage of predicting when your pup needs to be taken outside. Allowing your pup to free feed takes the predictability out of house training and will set you back a few weeks on your house training schedule.

You also need to schedule your pup’s trips outside.

You want to give your pup lots of opportunities to go to the bathroom outside and very few (if any) opportunities to go to the bathroom inside.

Take your puppy out immediately after:

  • waking from a nap
  • letting him out of his crate
  • a vigorous play session
  • a meal
  • a big drink from the water bowl
  • he walks near the door you always go out to take him to the bathroom
  • he starts sniffing

A quick note about puppy training pads.

Puppy training pads are a poor choice if you want to train your puppy to go to the bathroom outside. Puppy pads have a scent on them that encourages a dog to go to the bathroom. If you want your dog to go outside to do his business, don’t use a puppy pad in the house — you’ll confuse your puppy and house training will take longer.

When you take your pup outside for his frequent bathroom breaks, carry him directly to the area in which you’d like him to do his business. Keep him on a short leash (a Flexi or retractible leash is a poor choice for many reasons). All playtime and walks happen after he does his business — just stand still (silently) until he begins to go to the bathroom.

Putting potty on cue.

I put going to the bathroom on cue so that when I need my pup to go (if I’m in a hurry, if the weather is bad, if we’re at a rest stop on a road trip — the reasons are endless, really), I can tell him when and where to do his business. To teach your pup a “go to the bathroom now, please” cue, simply say the words (we use “hurry up”) as soon as your pup starts to go to the bathroom (either pee or poop). As soon as he’s finished his business, praise him enthusiastically and then play with your pup or take him on a walk around the yard or neighborhood.

No house freedom.

Don’t give your pup a chance to make a mistake inside. Your puppy is too young to be wandering the house (or even the room you’re in) — a mistake will happen, believe me. Keep your pup tethered to you (put the leash on your pup, then hold it or attach it to your belt loop) while you’re watching tv, working on the computer, fixing dinner — whenever you can’t watch your puppy 100% of the time. Following this one tip will cut the number of mistakes your pup can make and makes the house training process much shorter.

Here’s a quick video with service puppy in-training, Levi, detailing how we house train a puppy.

Do you have house training tips that worked for you and your puppy? Please share them here (dog-friendly solutions, of course).

Doggie Hide and Seek

Not too long ago, a few things went missing around our house. My husband lost a tube of toothpaste. I lost my iPod. Turns out, a lot more than that went missing, we just didn’t notice. Can YOU spot the treasure in the couch cushions?

 

Imagine my surprise when I found both of these things buried deep in our couch. I happened to find these treasures when we had company over, which made the scene even funnier (and more embarrassing).

I happened to sit on the couch — which is missing it’s cushions (as it was when we had company over) — as Schooner was eating dinner and for no good reason slipped my hand in the crevice and was surprised to feel something buried in there.

I gave the object a slight tug and was rewarded with the tube of toothpaste. It was so unexpected (not the object, but that the object was the missing toothpaste) that I let out a triumphant yell. The missing toothpaste mystery had been solved! It was a mystery: toothpaste doesn’t simply vanish. Usually, we find remnants of the missing objects and our examination of those remnants tells the tale of the object’s demise. Usually, the certificate of death for the object reads: “Death due to chewing.”

I found the toothpaste and then my curiosity got the better of me. What else might I find if I was brave enough to push my hand between the cushions again. I’ll be honest, there’s a lot of hair and a lot of dirt in there, too. And putting my hand into a dark, tight spot is a little frightening — I just pulled toothpaste out of the couch, what else could be hiding in there? Something living, is what I was scared of.


Nonetheless, I searched some more. Lo and behold, my missing iPod. No parts were damaged, it was completely intact. It almost looked like Schooner was using the cushion-less couch as a kind of doggie locker. It’s where he kept his valuables safe from the other dogs (and until that moment, safe from us).

By the way, the cushions are put back onto the sofa every day. And every evening, they’re on the floor again. It’s a game Schooner and I play. It’s a fun game — for him.

Based on my findings, I’ve added a new “to-do” to my schedule every week: Search Schooner’s locker for hidden treasures.

 

Dogs hide toys in couch.

See the hidden toy?

By the way, the hidden object in the picture above is this toy stuffed way down in the back of the sofa.

 

Tell me: Does your dog have a hiding spot for goodies? Does he like your goodies or does he stash his own goodies? Leave a comment and let me know!

Service Dog Training: 5-Month Old Puppy Training Goals


It’s hard to believe how quickly Schooner is growing up! Just a few weeks ago it seems, he was but a wee little pup!

Physically, he’s growing at an astounding rate. Mentally, he’s taking big leaps as well (thankfully!).

I just completed his five-month old questionnaire for the service dog organization and was amazed at all the things this boy knows (and is in the process of learning).

If you have a puppy, your pup is also able to accomplish all these things. Schooner is just a regular puppy, he has no special intelligence or skills. So if you’re looking for more to teach your pup than just sits, downs, and loose leash walking, take a look at Schooner’s list for inspiration.

By five months, Schooner is expected to be at least working on all of these. Some of these he should already be pretty good at.

Don’t worry, it’s not all work for Schooner. In fact, it’s usually a lot more play than work! As you can see from this picture, we take lots of training breaks and field trips where he can let it all hang out and be a regular pup. Here he’s trying to figure out just how those two dogs got all the way out there (they jumped off the dock and swam) and whether he’s brave enough to try this amazing feat (he wasn’t — at least not that day).

  • Watch me (look at me when I call his name once)
  • Auto check in (looking at me frequently just to “check in”)
  • Leave it (don’t touch it) with food in a closed hand, open hand, on the floor, and while walking past the food on the floor
  • Touch (his nose to my hand or lid) from 1′ or 2′ (or farther if possible)
  • Touch that object when it’s affixed to the wall
  • Loose leash walking (polite walking without pulling)
  • Recall (come when called) in the house, outside, away from play
  • Sit (in front, on my left, and on my right)
  • Down (in front, on my left, and on my right)
  • Stay (from either a sit or a down, to hold that position)
  • Release (tells the dog when they can get up or move or quit the behavior they were doing)
  • Meet and greet (meet people and dogs without pulling on the leash or jumping)
  • Look at that (dog will look at a distraction when asked) By asking the dog to look at something, we are getting rid of the startle/bark, and also getting the dog’s attention back on us while letting them check out the distracting thing)
  • Mat (go to your mat and lay down)
  • Kennel (run to your crate, go in, and lay down)
  • Up/Off (put your paws up onto something, take your paws off something). Can also mean get up onto something (onto the bed, for instance) or get off of something
  • Back beside handler (helpful especially for a large dog so they are easily maneuverable in tight spaces like hallways, trains, restaurants, etc.)
  • Back in front of handler (helpful when the dog has gone through a door first, turned to check on the handler, then needs to move backwards for the person to come through the door)
  • Go in (dog goes under table and lays down)
  • Wait (dog waits at the gate, door, etc. for the signal to go through)
  • Over (roll over)
  • Shake (fun trick) — dog offers his paw when asked
  • Hurry up (dog goes to the bathroom). This is really handy when the handler needs to go into a public place and needs the dog to empty before entering the building or meeting.

In upcoming posts, I’ll dissect each of these a bit more and give you tips on how to teach them and why they’d be helpful for you to teach your pup. Even older dogs can learn how to do these things. They’re fun to teach, and helpful for you to use. What have you got to lose?!

What cool things have you taught your puppy to do? Leave a comment below and share with us and the readers!

Stinky Dog

  Great Danes amuse me for so many reasons.

I think their sheer size is comical for starters.

When you add in their vocalizations, things start to get really funny.

Topping it off are their facial expressions. I can’t take it, they crack me up. Is it just me?

Takea  look at the video and let me know…Do YOU have conversations with your dog? What do you talk about? Do they answer back?

Please leave a comment and let us know!

Is There a Doggie Tooth Fairy?


Poor Schooner. He’s smack in the middle of losing his baby teeth. Here’s this gigantic 4.5 month old puppy (about 60 pounds) with a big head, legs the size of tree trunks, and these wee bitty baby teeth in his giant maw.

Just the other night, he was drooling as he slept. Startlingly, I noticed the drool was tinged red. And (not) coincidentally, I found blood droplets on the floor a little earlier in the evening. I didn’t put two and two together until just now — duh. Anyway, I’ve not had a pup teethe quite so hard — the blood-tinged drool, the whimpers after he finishes his meals and the incessant chewing. This boy’s got it bad.

He’s ruined a concrete Great Dane (go figure) statue thanks to his relentless chewing of all things hard. Occasionally, I’ll catch him chewing the wrought iron railing going down to our basement, or the marble on the corner of our outdoor fireplace. If that feels good, his poor toofy’s much be killing him.

Imagine my surprise when I went to wash the couch cover and I found two perfect little puppy teeth! At least two of them have made their way out. From what I can tell, he still has most of his back teeth and a couple of canines. All the others look to be big-boy teeth.

So here’s my question: does the tooth fairy visit puppies? And if so, what do you think he/she tucks under their doggie bed?

Soften Your Dog’s Bite

Your hands look like they’ve been through a meat grinder.

Your arms look like you’ve spent the day picking blackberries. It’s not feasible that your sweet, adorable pup has done this, right? Yet, every time your hands are near your pup’s mouth or face, he turns into Shark Face.  This month’s article will help you turn Shark Face into Lovey Dovey Head.

Why Needle Teeth?

Very young puppies lack jaw strength and therefore need some extra assistance – and that’s where those needle teeth come into play. They’re great (as you might already know!) at piercing into things. Pups use those needle-sharp teeth to break their food into manageable pieces. When your pup is about five months of age, you should start getting some relief as those little teeth are falling out and being replaced by the duller adult teeth. BUT: those adult teeth – paired with adult jaw strength – can now cause real and serious damage, not just a scratch like the puppy teeth.

What is Bite Inhibition?

That’s a fancy word for teaching a dog (or puppy) the strength of their bite. Ideally, you’ll start teaching your puppy how to do this as soon as you bring him into your house. Pups are capable of learning this skill and the earlier you start teaching it, the better.  Any dog can bite and cause damage, even if you’ve done a very good job teaching your dog how to use his teeth kindly toward humans. However, dogs who learn bite inhibition early and with gentle methods are much less likely to cause serious damage to other people.

How to Teach “No Bite”

Whether you’re teaching a puppy or an older dog, the procedure to teach your dog to judiciously and gently use his teeth is the same.
Many people think that teaching a pup bite inhibition requires physical force. Using force or even correcting your pup is contradictory to what you want to teach. Aggression begets aggression, particularly when your pup is revved up and ready to play. When you use your hands to stop play biting, your pup thinks you’re inviting him to play. Instead of yelling, grabbing the muzzle, or slapping the pup’s head, you’ll use your actions – not force – to communicate with your pup. Saying “ouch” in a tone much like that of when you stub your toe goes much further to teach your pup that his actions caused you pain than any physical punishment or reprimand could.  

Step-by-Step
Divide the bite levels into four categories:

  1. the ones that really truly hurt or actually pierce the skin
  2. the ones that are hard, but don’t pierce the skin
  3. the ones that have a fair amount of pressure, but hurt less and
  4. the ones where her teeth are touching you, but there isn’t much pressure at all.

During Week 1, you will react only to those bites that are the hardest, the ones that break the skin or truly cause you pain. You’ll do what you do when you stub your toe and it really smarts — “OW!” and immediately and very pointedly leave the puppy for five or ten seconds. You can then go back to puppy and resume interacting. We want the pup to know that it is his painful biting that is causing you to leave.

By the end of Week 1, if your timing is good and if you are consistent, puppy should realize that those hard bites drive you away.

You’re making progress!

After Week 1, those hardest bites should be almost gone.

You’ll now react to the Level 2 bites as if they hurt just as much as the Level 1 bites you just got rid of.  The hardest ones should already be gone, so these less painful bites will now be what you’re focusing one. Repeat the same procedures for the next level of biting, and finally for any teeth that touch your skin at all.

Gradually getting rid of the biting using the four levels teaches your pup bite inhibition more quickly.

This exercise will not end play biting immediately; it is a gradual process by which we allow only softer and softer bites.

Tips to Help Curb Puppy Biting

  • No roughhousing. Roughhousing encourages play biting and slows learning.
  • Supervise all interactions with your pup, particularly those involving children. Kids and puppies have a tendency to ramp each other up and before you know it, puppy and child are both way out of control. Also, kids don’t have the timing or the self-awareness that adults have and aren’t as effective at getting the message across to the puppy that biting isn’t good.
  • Stop play immediately when you feel your dog’s teeth on your skin. Period. Whether you think it was an accident or not. Stop immediately.
  • No yelling, no scolding, no physical corrections.

You can do this with an older dog, as well. It may take longer for your older dog to catch on – this biting habit has had much longer to become ingrained. Be patient, follow the rules, and your dog will have a softer mouth in about a month or so.

 

 

 

 

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