Housetraining a new puppy is usually not difficult, but it does take commitment, close supervision and patience, especially in the beginning.  If you go for “zero errors” from day one, you’ll set yourself up to have a reliably house-trained dog for life.  Following are the key elements of a successful housetraining program.  These tips will work just as well if you’re adopting an older dog, too!

• Pick a designated bathroom spot, before getting your puppy or dog.  Try to find a spot that’s easily accessible yet out of the way of regular activities.  A differentiated surface – leaves, pachysandra, ivy, etc. -- work well if you don’t want your puppy to eliminate on your lawn.
  
  
• Take your puppy to the same spot every time, preferably ON LEASH (this is a “business trip”, not playtime).  Allow for some movement by your pup to stimulate elimination, but don’t let him pull you around for a sniffing expedition.  Stand relatively still for up to several minutes to allow him time to get down to business.
  
  
• Choose and use a “cue word”, such as “hurry up” or “do your business” as he looks as if he’s about to go (e.g., he begins circling, pacing, etc.).  It’s very helpful to teach your dog to eliminate on cue, especially when it’s sleeting out or you’re on the road together.
  
  
• Praise and reward your dog on site  for eliminating in the spot you’ve designated.  Do not take your dog back in immediately after he eliminates.  He will learn that elimination outdoors equals the end of playtime.  After your dog eliminates, play a favorite game with him or take a brief walk together.  You want elimination outdoors to mean fun things for your dog.  If you take him inside immediately, he may actually resist going when you want him to in order to prolong outdoor time.  Similarly, if you do not go with and reward your pup on site outside, he may pretend to go and hurry back inside to get attention or a treat!
  
  
• Be sure to keep your dog’s toilet area clean (you wouldn’t want to use a dirty bathroom, would you?).
  
  
• Know the triggers that are likely to cause your dog to wish to eliminate. These include playing, eating, drinking, and waking up from a nap.  After these activities, immediately take puppy outside to the “spot”.
  
  
• Know your dog’s bowel and bladder status.  Smaller dogs and puppies require more frequent opportunities to eliminate.  A rough guideline for how many hours puppies can “hold it” is to take the pup’s age in months and add one.  So an “empty” 3 month-old puppy will likely need to go again in about 4 hours, if not sooner.  If he’s especially active for a time, he may need to go every 30 minutes!  Just as in humans, metabolism slows when at rest, so your pup may be able to hold it a bit longer at night.  You can glean a lot of valuable information by keeping an “elimination log” – actually recording when your pup eats, drinks, pees and poops – for a week or two so you know when the key danger zones for accidents are.

• Supervise carefully! – Go for zero accidents to the extent possible.  If you’re not 100% certain your pup is empty, he needs to be either confined to an area where he will not make a mistake (please consider crate training your puppy) or watched like a hawk so you can see if he looks like he needs to go.  Only after your pup has been completely accident-free indoors for a month or so can you begin to relax your supervision.  This often doesn’t happen until 5 to 6 months of age, and sometimes later for small dogs, so please be patient.
  
  
• If your dog eliminates indoors, interrupt with a lot of noise (for example, clapping or exclaiming “Outside”).  Pick up your pup if possible, and rush him to his “spot”. Use your cue word and praise and reward him if he finishes up there.  DO NOT YELL AT, STRIKE, OR OTHERWISE INTIMIDATE YOUR DOG if he makes a mistake indoors!  That will only teach him that going to the bathroom in your presence (not in the house) is dangerous and will impede the housetraining process.  Instead, vow to supervise him more closely.   Please do not rub your dog’s nose in his waste; it’s ineffective and abusive.

• If your dog eliminates in his crate – or in the house -- be sure to completely remove the smell with an enzymatic cleaner (such as Nature’s Miracle or Simple Solution) to avoid triggering future accidents.  These work as the product dries, so be sure to saturate the spot and allow it to air dry for several hours. Ordinary household cleaners are often ineffective and, if they contain ammonia, may actual stimulate elimination.

• Overnight – Feed dinner early and remove free access to water a few hours before bedtime. A few sips of water are ok if it’s warm or he plays vigorously.   Do make sure your dog has adequate water during the day.  Take your puppy out right before bed.  Puppies and new dogs will most likely need to go out during the night as well, so make sure you can hear his efforts to wake you, or set an alarm to get up and take him out.  This won’t last forever and is well worth the effort to avoid establishing a pattern of eliminating in the crate or sleeping area. In the morning, take your pup outside to his bathroom spot immediately , before he has a chance to eliminate inappropriately.  Again, you may need to carry a small puppy. 
  
  
• With success in housetraining begin to lift your supervision.  If there are accidents, tighten your supervision again. If your puppy starts having accidents after an extended period of success, suspect medical reasons and see your vet promptly.

For more information, the book, “Way to Go”, by Brenda Scidmore and Dr. Patricia McConnell provides an excellent, in-depth exploration of the subject of house training.  This and other quality dog training resources are available at www.dogwise.com.