Canines First

Canines First - Housebreaking

Housebreaking

Part 1: Forcing the Habit

Take your dog out in reasonable intervals. The younger he is the more frequent it should be. Take him to where you would like him to relieve himself. Use a retractable leash, or put an exercise pen in your yard. Stand there without making noise or movement. Do not look at the dog, touch the dog or talk to the dog until he is in the middle of urinating or defecating. At this time, you may say "go potty" and pet him lightly if he will tolerate it.

Give him no more than five minutes. If he urinated and defecated, you should be safe to spend 20 minutes with your dog indoors. Make sure you are directly interacting with him and your attention is not diverted. After 20 minutes, return him to his kennel. Leave him in there no longer than can be tolerated, but no less. The amount of time you leave your dog in the kennel can be from 2 to 5 hours, depending on the age of the dog. The younger the dog, the less time he can hold it. Consequently, the amount of time you will be able to leave him will depend on if he's had anything to eat or drink before going into the kennel. Repeat the steps mentioned above.

You must be able to predict your dog's bathroom habits so that you know when he will be having a bowel movement. If you take him out during a time you expect a bowel movement but he does not defecate, return him to his kennel for a time until you can take him again.

If he did not take care of any or all of his business, return him to the kennel for a short time and then take him out again. A reasonable amount of time may be anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the age of the dog. From this moment forward, your goal is to never allow the dog to use the bathroom where you don't want him to again. Hence, you are forcing the habit of making him relieve himself where you want him to relieve himself.

Part 2: Give Him a Way Out

Teach your dog to ring a jingle bell to let you know he needs to go out.

Step 1: Have some treats and a bell handy. Show him the bell for the first time. Natural curiosity will make him touch it. Immediately reward him with a treat. The dog will catch on. Some dogs are afraid of the bell. If you find yourself in this situation, it will require extra patience and creativity to acclimate the dog to the bell.

Step 2: Begin to say "outside" when your dog touches the bell.

Step 3: When you can say "outside," inciting him to touch the bell, you are ready to hang the bell on the knob of the door that leads him to the place you wish for him to relieve himself. Hang the bell at nose level. Next time and every time you take the dog out during Part I of the housebreaking phase, insist that he rings the bell first.

Part 3: Making a Choice

Once you have established a new habit and schedule and taught your dog to ring the bell (this takes approximately 7 to 14 days), you are now ready to set your dog up to make a choice.

Allow him to roam in the room where the bell is at a time he will need to relieve himself. Sit, watch and wait with a penny can 1/3 full of pennies that has been sealed with duct taped. When the dog begins to relieve himself indoors, throw the penny can near the dog without hitting the dog. Don't say anything before you throw it, and don't say anything after. Just clean up the mess. Repeat this process until the dog chooses to ring the bell to go outside.

If you find your dog is never choosing to ring the bell, you will need to back up a step. Go back to scheduled potty breaks and directed bell ringing. Once you feel the dog has the hang of it, slowly allow him access to more areas in the home. Continue to confine him when no one is home until you are comfortable that your dog is 100 percent housebroken.

The Tools

crate
bell
penny can

The Rules

Never leave your dog unattended during housebreaking when he is not in his kennel.
Dogs need to relieve themselves after they play, eat and wake up. During housebreaking, always go with him to the bathroom so that you know what he's done.