You are the proud owner of a new puppy or dog and you want to housetrain him.    

In order to understand dog behavior you have to think like he does.  Dogs are descendents of wolves and one of the characteristics they have retained from their ancestors are their need to be in a pack.  A pack includes one leader - someone who is the boss and is respected by all the other members.  Contrary to popular belief, the vast majority of dogs don't want to be the pack leader.  It makes them feel safe to have someone else in charge, and that someone is you.

To successfully train your dog, you must be the leader of your pack, the alpha dog.

Always be firm and consistent with your dog and never act scared.  The first thing your puppy must learn is housebreaking or housetraining. That means he must learn where and when he may do his potty business.  For puppies, stop water intake a few hours before bed time. This will help the puppy sleep through the night without waking you up to go outside.

Whenever your puppy cries or whines, assume he has to go potty. Take your puppy out early in the morning, immediately after he wakes up from a nap, after eating, after playing, several times during the day, and especially right before bedtime.  If the puppy has soiled the bed by the time you get there in the morning, you'll know he could not hold it all night.

Yes, you will lose sleep but puppies have small bladders and aren't able to control their natural urges as well as an adult dog. Remember - puppies grow quickly into dogs. This time in your life where it seems like all you do is cater to your puppy's bathroom needs soon will be over!  It will get better.  A very general rule of thumb is one hour more than a pup's age in months is about how long he can hold it.  An 8 week puppy can't go much more than a couple of hours, and 3 month pup can often go 4 hours.

First cater to his schedule, and then slowly change it to yours.

For your adult dog, the first few weeks at home with you are a critical transition period.

Dogs benefit from having rules and a routine - as pack animals, they look for duties issued by the pack leader and naturally enjoy keeping schedules.

Focus your strategy on teaching your dog to go potty outside, rather than teaching him to not go in the house. The strategy is to train your dog to want to do something, not to convince him not to do something. Place emphasis on positive behavior rather than negative behavior.

Here are the basics to housebreaking your dog:

1.  Experts suggest incorporating a kennel crate in a dog's training.  A crate usually resembles a cage, with a locking door and see-through metal bars, and should be big enough for the dog to move around in. This satisfies a dog's instinctive need for a den-like enclosure which he has inherited from his den-dwelling ancestors and relatives.

A crate is an effective housebreaking tool because it takes advantage of the dog's natural reluctance to soil its sleeping place.  No, it's not cruel, mean, or inhumane and many adult dogs end up going into the crate on their own, when they need some time alone or to relieve doggy tensions. They think of the crate as their nest or home.  If possible, it's desirable to have the crate in an area where your dog can see any activity going on in the home and not confined to a room where they feel isolated from the family.

The purpose of a crate is to provide confinement for reasons of security, safety, housetraining, travel, or illness. Your pet will feel secure, once accustomed to his crate, and will generally end up thinking of the crate as a room of his very own - a "security blanket".  Confinement means that until your dog is housebroken, he is never allowed to walk freely around the house. In stricter terms that means unless you are sitting with your dog, playing with him, feeding him, grooming him, teaching him something, walking him, or interacting with him, he needs to be confined because if he is loose and you take your eyes off him for just a few moments, he can go to the bathroom on your floor, and the bad habit has started.

2.  Always leave the house through the same door.

3.  Try to take your dog out at around the same times each day. A routine will eventually be established, and your dog will soon know to hold it in until you take him out. Most dogs have to go potty after eating, after sleeping, and after playing.

4.  Do not give him the run of your house. The most important thing he needs in the first few weeks during housetraining is structure and that's where the crate comes in. Freedom comes later as he develops the responsibility to handle it.

Look for clues that tell you he needs to go. Your dog may suddenly put his nose down and sniff the ground intently.  He may begin to circle an area.  He may stare at the door or stare at you with an intense look on his face. Signs like these tell you to drop what you're doing and take him out of the house.

If you actually catch your dog in the act of eliminating inside the house, interrupt him by saying "NO" in a stern deep voice. In this situation animals respond better to deeper voices rather than high voices and take him outside to the proper place. Do not attempt to correct or reprimand a dog after the crime has been committed, because he will not understand. It is ineffective, and confusing to the dog.

Even after your dog is housetrained there will be an occasional accident in the house.  If there is one don't hit, don't yell, and don't rub his nose in it.  You want him to be your friend.

The best thing to do is ignore the accident and quietly clean up the mess without making a fuss when your dog isn't watching.  Do not say a single word to the dog.

Be sure to completely clean up any potty accidents in the house. The smell of urine in the carpet or floor will encourage him to go there again, so you must remove the smell entirely. Running a damp towel over the mess is not sufficient clean up.  Apply an odor eliminator/neutralizer, such as Nature's Miracle Stain & Odor Remover or Un-Duz-It.  Never use an ammonia-based product, as their odor resembles urine.  Your dog's veterinarian can also recommend efficient products for odor and stain removal.  What I use whenever housetraining, is a mixture of 1/2 vinegar 1/2 water in a spray bottle.

Any leftover subtle scent can cause a dog to go in the same place, because a dog's sense of smell is 100-200 times greater than a human nose.

5.  When outside choose the spot were you want him to do his business - preferably a small lawn area.  He should be taken out on nice long leash because you'll then be able to control your dog better, and it will prevent him from fooling around when there's business to be done. Until he's housetrained take him to the same designated spot each time.  Try to take him out at frequent intervals such as two-to-three hour intervals to the same area designated as the bathroom. A llow him to explore and get used to the area.  Let him sniff around because the smell of the urine from his previous efforts will encourage him to go again.  Ever notice that they sniff for a good spot?  Well, guess what smell they are hoping to find.

Issue a simple command in a deep voice such as "Hurry Up.", or "Go Potty.", "Do Your Business" or whatever trigger words are suitable for you.  Eventually, he will learn the phrase just as he would any command, and he'll be able to do it when you use the magic words.  Use one of these phrases repeatedly as you try to get him to go, then praise him enthusiastically when he actually does it.

6.  This is not walk time or play time, so stand in approximately the same spot and wait for your dog to eliminate.  When he does, praise him enthusiastically.  Don't immediately rush back into the house with him because he will learn to hold it and not eliminate so that he can get more time outdoors.  Instead give him a few minutes of playtime, a walk, or just time to sniff around and be a dog.

7.  After he has successfully made potty, don't fully clean up the spot, but leave a trace of urine or feces to provide a scent that will remind him what he is supposed to do there. After your dog is completely housetrained then you can clean up old feces.

8.  When you're praising your dog after he eliminates outside, use a high-pitched, happy voice, clap and incorporate his name, and make a huge deal out of it. Say "Good Jack.", "What a Good Boy.", "I know you're trying to be SOOO good." Remember to smile.  Show your appreciation for him doing what he should do. Talk to him - he is listening.  Learn to use simple words for accidents and for praise.  Use words such as "Good Boy" or "Good Jack" for good deeds, and praise with joy and enthusiasm in your voice.  It's OK to act very excited and happy!

Conversely, use words for accidents such as "Nah Nah.", or "No." and use a deeper gruff voice, but don't go overboard.  Gently scold when he makes potty in the wrong spot.


Until Complete Housetraining Has Been Accomplished

A puppy or adult dog can usually be housebroken in about three weeks, however keep in mind accidents will happen - even with a fully grown adult dog that is housetrained and rarely makes a mistake.  He might have an upset tummy, play too hard and forget, be nervous or stressed concerning an unfamiliar situation, be frightened, or ill.

Remember to be patient, some dogs take longer than others to housetrain.

Dogs are social animals and love to please their human.

Correcting a dog after the fact is pointless, they really just don't get it - their concept of time is different, and they do not see a cause and effect. While they might associate that there's pee or poo over there on the carpet with your anger, they don't get that they caused it to be there, so it's ineffective and confusing to the animal.

The result of hitting, yelling, and punishment will eventually lead to him being afraid of you.

Always praise your dog when he does the right thing.

Confinement in a crate is the most common and most effective method of housetraining.  Whenever you're not interacting directly with your dog, he is safe in his crate.

Ideally, on a regular basis throughout the day, take him outside to a specific potty area to go to the bathroom.  If indoors, you must provide him with newspapers or a litter box.  He must have a place to "go" on a regular, reliable basis.