I have a friend who has a 7 month old puppy and recently beseeched Facebook for any advice on housebreaking him. They had done everything we are all told to do: use a kennel, take the dog outside prior to leaving the house, give them plenty of exercise, etc.
This made me think back to housebreaking my dogs and what did and did not work and what I learned along the way.
1) Good rule of thumb to keep in mind is that a puppy can hold its bladder for approximately 1 hour for every month of age.
I've read this in many places and have found it to be more or less an accurate means of judging how long you can leave your dog before he is inevitably going to pee in the house/kennel. My experience has shown that it is a bit less than an hour, but naturally this will vary from one puppy to another.
2) Choosing the right kennel (if indeed you decide to use a kennel for housebreaking) is very important. The dog should be able to turn around and lie down comfortably but not so big that he can pick one spot to use as a bathroom while lying comfortably poop free at the other end.
Probably should mention that some dogs have no problem lying in their own feces and some even make it a point to step in/roll in it whenever they get the opportunity. Some dogs are just gross that way.
If you have a puppy that is going to get really big really fast it is cheaper to get a cage that he can grow into and just section off the kennel to an appropriate size. Many pet stores sell kennels that are already set up to be sectioned off to grow with your soon be giant dog, but you could also MacGyver a partition if you're handy. Just keep in mind that dogs chew, so don't use something that will be chewed off by the time you get home.
*note on kennel training
In my experience kennel or crate training does not work for all dogs. A kennel can be a safe place to keep your dog while they learn to not eat the house, but for some dogs an enclosed kennel is a stressful place.
Remus hated enclosed kennels. By enclosed I mean both the solid airline kennels and the more airy wire kennels. I found he was calmest when he was in his "playpen". Yes, I bought the dog his own playpen. They sell them in pet stores.
I was having such a hard time getting him to relax in his kennel that we thought it was worth a try. It worked. It kept him safely contained and calm. He enjoyed his playpen so much he went in it voluntarily to sleep every night.
 |
| Remus sleeping in his play pen with his penguin. |
So don't be afraid to think outside the box when it comes to kennel training. Just always use common sense and try to see the world through your dogs eyes. If there is anything he can get a hold of that looks like he may want to chew on it, assume he will and keep him away from it.
3) If you've tried all of that and still have trouble getting him to not pee inside, look for other causes.
Since my friend had already had success at house breaking her puppy she found it frustrating that he suddenly seemed to forget that peeing in the kennel and around the house was not okay.
One possible problem could be an infection. Bring the dog to the vet and make sure there isn't anything physically wrong with him.
My dog KoKo has been housebroken for over a decade now, but just last month she peed in the house. This baffled me. Turns out she had an infection and when coupled with her Prednisone she was just unable to hold it throughout the night.
If there is no medical explanation for your dogs "accidents", then take a good hard (brutally honest) look at your training methods.
*Are you (and everyone else in the house) being consistent? Same routine, same rules, every time, every day. Dogs thrive on routine.
*Is your dog getting enough exercise? Walking your dog is good for you and the dog. So do it.
*Is your dog stressed out by the kennel? Try something with better airflow. Long haired, double coated dogs often get too hot in enclosed or airline style kennels.
*Does he stress out by being left alone? Separation anxiety a subject too complicated to touch on here, but if you suspect this is the problem, don't be too proud to hire a trainer.
 |
| Random Remus picture. |
Always remember to be patient. Dogs don't understand English and yelling a command they don't understand doesn't help. You have to SHOW your dog what you want them to do.
Holiday Safety Tips from the ASPCA 
