House Training Your New Puppy
© copyright 19.Oct.2006 by Paul Bradley posted under Dogs.
Although you might look at a Pekinese or Chihuahua and find it hard to believe, all domesticated dogs have a common ancestor: Canis lupus - the wolf. Wolves dig special dens or occasionally find comfortable caves or rock crevices to sleep in and to birth and raise their newborn cubs. They may keep the same den from year to year, and sometimes even from generation to generation. This is the basis for “crate training,” which is the most popular and effective way for housetraining the domesticated descendents of the wolves.
Many people who are unfamiliar with the concept of crate training react negatively to the idea at first, thinking that the crate is a cage, and that its primary function is as punishment. In fact, given the canine's natural predilection for snuggling into such safe havens, the opposite is true. The crate becomes a place of comfort and calm for the dog. It is true that many crates are indeed cages. But that does not mean that the animals are always locked behind bars.
The theory behind crate training as housetraining is based on Lady's instinctive distaste for urinating or defecating in the same place where she sleeps. If you leave her in a spare bedroom or a bathroom, she will still be able to do her business in one corner and sleep in the other, so there is very little natural incentive to learn to do such things outdoors. A crate, on the other hand, leaves her no such option, as a crate should be just large enough that the dog, when full grown, can stand up, turn around, and stretch out to her full length when snoozing. (For puppies, unless you have a series of graduated sizes, you may have to partition off a larger crate.) If you think it sounds inhumane to shut a dog up in such a small space, consider that when the doors are left open, most crate-trained dogs will choose to sleep in the crate: they feel safe there, and adopt their crates as their private den.
In housetraining your dog using a crate, the most important thing is consistency. Every time Lady finishes eating a meal, or wakes up from a nap, take her outside to the area where you want her to urinate or defecate. Don't let her play, just keep her in the area until she does one or the other. When she does, praise her, and let her go off and play. If she hasn't done anything in ten minutes, take her back inside and put her in her crate. In another ten or fifteen minutes, take her back outside to her designated “bathroom” area and repeat the whole process. Again, don't let her play: she is supposed to be learning that when she has to relieve herself, she must go outside to do so.
Remember that before Lady has completely learned this lesson, she will have accidents. That's why it is called training: she doesn't automatically know what you want her to do. But there are some things you can do to make the process less stressful for you both:
Limit her range
It's amazing how many people complain that their new puppies keep leaving stains on the living room carpets, when the solution to that problem is so clear: prevent Lady from going into carpeted areas in the first place. Baby gates are ideal for this. When you are in the house and watching her, keep her confined to those rooms that have vinyl, tile, or other easily cleanable floor surfaces. And when you are not going to be at home, take her outside to her special area and let her do her thing, then put her in her crate with the door locked tight.
Watch what she eats
Even if you plan to introduce canned food later (and it is not necessary), keep Lady on a dry food diet until she is housebroken. Start her out with whatever she ate before you brought her home and gradually mix in larger percentages of the dry food you plan to feed her regularly. The water in canned food will add pressure to her bladder, and certain other ingredients in the wet food such as sodium nitrite and iron oxide (colour enhancers) will all but guarantee that if she does have an accident on a carpet or your favourite sweater, it will leave an unattractive stain.
Be consistent
Always take Lady to “her spot” first thing in the morning, right after she eats, right after she wakes, and right before bed. Always praise her when she does something there; never scold her when she has an accident (she is not doing it on purpose; she just doesn't “get it” yet). Always keep “her spot” relatively clean, and keep any rooms that she stays in spotless by cleaning up every accident immediately, as any lingering scents or souvenirs may cause her use that spot again.
Puppies who are crate trained usually learn quickly. If Lady gets to be four or five months old yet despite consistent training still has accidents in the house, have the veterinarian check her over to make sure she does not have a medical problem. If you don't think you have the time or patience for training, you should probably not get a puppy but an older dog from a rescue or shelter, or select a puppy that has actually been trained by the breeder. And do be patient. Just as with toddlers, Lady will eventually “get it”, as long as you do your part.
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