What is the Easiest Way to Housebreak a Puppy?

Consistency is the key to housebreaking a puppy. Everyone in your household must be on the same page when it comes to teaching the puppy where to go potty and where not to. One of the easiest ways to housebreak a puppy is to crate train it. Puppies do not like to soil their bedding and learn that they can "hold" their bladders and bowels until it is time to go outside. Positive reinforcement for all good deeds helps the puppy understand when it has done a good job.

Difficulty:

 Moderate

Things you'll need: 

Dog Crate

Baby or pet gates

House training is one of the first things your puppy should learn.

Instructions

1

Set a feeding schedule for your puppy. Feed your puppy at the same time every day and share this schedule with the rest of the household. Take the puppy outside 30 to 40 minutes after it eats. As the puppy gets older, the time between eating and going outside can get longer.

1. • 2
     Supervise your puppy constantly. Never let your puppy out of your sight--an unattended puppy might have accidents. Keep the puppy confined to the room with you by using baby or pet gates, blocking access to hallways and adjoining rooms. If your puppy does have an accident, make sure you thoroughly clean and odor neutralize the area.
   • 3
     Watch your puppy for elimination signs. Recognize the pre-potty pattern of circling and sniffing the floor. Pick the puppy up using a cue word such as "outside," and take it to an elimination area.
   • 4
     Watch the puppy to verify it has eliminated. As the puppy eliminates use a cue words such as "go poopie," "go potty," "go tee tee" or any other comfortable cue words. Share these cue words with the rest of your household, so that everyone uses the same cue words.
   • 5
     Praise the puppy when it eliminates outdoors. Do not play with the puppy until after it eliminates, and then praise it enthusiastically and offer treats for being a good dog.
   • 6
     Crate the puppy when it cannot be watched. Purchase a crate large enough to accommodate the puppy as it grows. Most crates come with partitions that you can move to increase the size available to the puppy as it gets older. Provide the puppy with a blanket and toys; do not provide food and water while crated.
   • 7
     Take the puppy outside to eliminate before you crate it, and take the puppy outside immediately after you take it from the crate. At two months of age, you can leave the puppy in the crate for one hour. Add an hour for each month of its age. A 3-month-old puppy can stay in the crate for four hours.
   • 8
     Leave the puppy in the crate only for short periods of time (except for overnight). Do not leave the puppy in the crate all day while you work. Let the puppy out of the crate at lunchtime or have someone come by and let the puppy out during the workday. According to Dog Breed Info Center, a puppy left in the crate all day can become destructive and unhappy. Make sure to take the puppy outside immediately when you take it from the crate.
   • 9
     Discipline the puppy only when you catch the puppy in the act of eliminating. If you did not see the accident happen, do not discipline the puppy for it. If you catch the puppy in the act, quickly pick up the puppy, sternly but gently say your cue word for going outside and take the puppy out. Praise the puppy when it eliminates outside even if the puppy started indoors.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep the puppy's crate in your bedroom overnight. This encourages the puppy to sleep when you sleep. Younger puppies under the age of three months may need a bathroom break during the night. For example, a 2-month-old puppy may need to eliminate every two or three hours, a 3-month-old puppy may need to eliminate every four hours, while a 4-month-old puppy can sleep all night without the need to eliminate. If the puppy has an accident while confined to his crate, clean the crate and bedding with ammonia free pet odor neutralizer.
  
  
  By Cecilia Harsch, eHow Contributor