house breaking?

[HaplessHannah]

what's the best way to do it? do i wait until he has an accident and then correct him or do i just follow him around and wait until it "looks like" he's got to go? i'm pretty confused here.

[Diana]

crate training. keep it in a crate and take it outside approximately 6 times a day, especially after meals.

[queenkarlata]

housebreaking should never be corrected by punishing the dog first and foremost. i agree with diana in that crating the dog both trains it to love its crate and also trains it to not go in the house. but if you don't keep the pup in a crate at all times, make sure you have an eye on it. if you catch it doing its business in the house, say no very loud and clap or something to startle it but not scare it, if its startled, i may stop mid-potty, and "no" lets it know that its not ok to go in the house, then pick it up and run it outside and put it in its potty place, wait a wlittle while until it goes outside, then praise it and give it a treat or something. very important. if it goes when you're not around it and you find a gift, do not punish your puppy then, it doesn't know what you're punishing it for. at that point, dont act mad. stay calm, put the pup in crate in another room and clean up the mess. do not clean the mess in front of it because this may make it think its ok to go where ever because in the whelping box, the mother would eat the excrement of the pups for the nutrition (really she does), so you picking it up reminds it of mom and mom was fine with it so why wouldnt you be? just take your pup out often, before and after meals, and be patient when you take it out, because it may take a couple minutes for magic to happen ;)

[oliverthewolfhoundsmommy]

I also agree that crate training is the best way to go. At night pup sleeps in crate, and will cry to let you know if it has to go.(plus no surprises for you on floor in morning) During day when you are home, keeping close eye on pup and watching for signs ie: sniffing will help to know when he as to go. Always go out with pup for potty breaks, be prepared to wait,and always commend when he/she goes. I found that when I saw mine sniffing, if i got excited, and constantly asked "do you have to go out" helped by getting him excited, and would learn to "ask" to go out. Also, getting excited when they did their thing outside, let them know they did good. Good luck on the training....I have 2 older dogs, and just got a new puppy so am also spending alot of time outside...lol

[Amie]

the sniffing thing is definitely a huge indicator. when i was housetraining my pup and saw him sniffing i made the mistake of thinking " o, he's a hunting dog, he likes to sniff " every once in a while and ended up on my hands and knees scrubbing out puppy excrement. one sniff to check something out is okay, but circling around with its nose to the ground is a sign of danger! haha, good luck!

[BetsyJoy]

Watching your pup closely for signs that they have to go potty is the best training for your pup. Teaching them to let you know they need to go out is really a good tool for you both. I taught mine to ring a bell that hangs on the door to tell me he needs to go out.

When you're not around a crate is good if you have to go that route but a kennel with access to outside or access to some other alternative potty area is best, IMO.