Housetraining is probably the most common subject of questions we are asked. It is one of the biggest concerns of new dog owners, but one of the easiest things to train. There are a lot of "house-training" products on the market that "teach" a dog where to go. Unfortunately, most of these products teach a dog that it is okay to do his business in the house. This is fine if it is going to be okay for the dog to go in the house, however, most people would rather that the dog do his business outside. There are several key factors to remember in housetraining your dog. First, be patient and be consistant. Get your dog on a schedule. He will need to go out at certain key times during the day. These are; first thing in the morning when he gets up, shortly after eating, after naps and after (or during) hard play periods. Feeding schedules are also very important. DO NOT LEAVE FOOD DOWN ALL DAY FOR YOUR DOG. If he has the opportunity to eat (graze) all day he will need to do his business at more unpredictable times during the day. Put his food down and give him 15-20 minutes to eat it. After that time pick up anything he has not eaten. He gets nothing more until the next meal time, do not add uneaten food from the previous meal to the next meal. When your dog goes outside to do his business, you must go out with him and praise the dickens out of him when he does his business - rain or shine.
An excellent training tool is a dog crate or kennel. Most dogs will not mess in their sleeping areas. Crate size is important. Buy a crate to fit the adult dog to stand up, turn around, and lie down. (As a pup, partition off part of the crate with a cardboard box.) If you must leave your dog do not leave him unconfined, leave him in his kennel or crate - this will allow him to be good. As a genral rule of thumb puppies should not be left in a kennel longer than their age in months plus an hour; i.e. a three month old puppy shouldn't be left in a kennel for more than 4 hours at a time..
