Biggest Myth to Housebreaking a Dog
You may have been told in the past by friends and family that when it comes to housebreaking a dog, you're suppose to rub their nose in their mess when they have an accident and scold them.
Truth be told this does absolutely nothing in helping your dog learn. Yelling at your dog after the fact he eliminated in the house is just a waste of your breath. Dog's have a very short attention span. If you do not catch your dog in the middle of the act, then your dog is not going to connect your distress to him defecating in the house.
Why is this? At a young age, puppies have a very short memory. Before now, they have never been scolded when they eliminate inside. So if you're yelling at your puppy for something that they've always done, they will not be able to connect it to your displeasure. Your dog may in fact connect your displeasure to eliminating in front of you, so they may urinate or defecate when you're not around.
When you do catch your puppy in the act, simply pick him up, say "NO" and take him outside to finish up. He may or not finish but when he is done, make sure you praise him with words of encouragement or small deeds. This will help your dog relate positive experience to eliminating inside.
Use Cue Words to Help Your Dog Connect
When your outside with your dog, use a cue to let your dog know that he is there to tie himself. You can do this by saying the cue word as he's eliminating. For example, "do your thing" or "go potty" will help your dog connect the words and action together.
Constant Supervision
When you are home, it's best to keep your eye on your dog so you can watch for clues that he needs to go. When you see your puppy circling and sniffing the floor, take him outside immediately. This way you can set your dog up for positive praise and help your puppy connect the action to the effect.
Crate Training
Crate training is a great way to housebreak your dog. This is also a great method if you can not be at home with your puppy all the time. Not only does it keep your house clean, but your dog learns to hold his bladder. Since he birthday, his mother taught him to not eliminate where he sleeps.
That's why dog's never eliminate near the area they sleep in. When you crate train your dog, do not put food or water in the crate, maybe a time to help your dog bide his time. Keep in mind your puppy can only hold his bladder for so long, so leaving your puppy unattended for more how many months he is in hours plus 1. For example, if your puppy is 4 months old, not more than 5 hours in the crate will do. If your puppy is 3 months old, do not keep him in there for more than 4 hours. You get the point.
These are some things you should keep in mind when trying to housebreak a puppy.
