How To Housebreak A Dog

How To Housebreak A Dog

Housebreaking a dog is one of the most important things you can do with your dog, especially when it's a puppy. Nobody likes a mess in their house and everyone is much happier when their dog instinctively knows where to go potty.


We have a lovely Golden Retriever called Mickey who was an absolute dream to housebreak, it took us around 2-3 weeks to properly housebreak him but it was so worth the blood, sweat and tears (not literally!). I've seen a few people ask on line how to housebreak a dog and look for a 'real life' guide by people who have actually done it and how they've done it, so I thought I'd write down my experiences with Mickey to try and help other people.

Mickey

Step One - Decide Where They Will Go

First step to house training is to decide where exactly you want your dog to go potty - we have a garden so it was obvious that's where we'd want Mickey to go! We didn't care where in the garden as it was all grassy area that was easy to clean or cut.

Step Two - Wait For Them To Do It There

Sounds easy but the next step is to literally wait for them to do it where you want them to - this can be done by taking them out shortly after eating/drinking or from time to time. If they start acting weird in the house by going round in circles or sniffing excessively this could be a sign, if you see it take them out immediately! If you've missed your chance don't worry, and don't scold the dog either! If they are a young puppy then they don't know what they're doing just yet and they aren't being naughty!

Step Three - Praise Them!

House training gets easy real quick at this point, when they've done their business in the place you want them to praise them a LOT! Behave like you've just won the lottery! Your dog will pick up on your happiness and remember what they did to make it happen. Dogs just want to please their masters and being housebroken will help them do just that!

Happy Jug Dog

Now all of this sounds easy, and it is really, but it can be very stressful and sometimes you may feel like the dog is just not getting it...just don't give up! Dogs, especially puppy are very quick to learn new things and what makes their owners happy and you'll find with consistency this will happen.

Make sure to always keep it consistent and make it perfectly clear what you expect of your dog, changing the rules or relaxing them from time to time will only make it drag on and much harder to get completed.

Mickey only took 3 weeks for us to think "Yep, he's definitely house trained now!" and now everyone's life is easier and we are much more relaxed about not having to keep an eye on him 24/7 in the house. 

Do you have any questions about housebreaking your dog? Why not send an email to us at housebreakingadog@gmail.com and we will answer any question you've got!