One of the biggest concerns that people have when they bring a dog home is whether or not they will be able to housebreak it. The question should never be whether or not the dog is going to be able to learn the rules, but rather or not the owners are going to be able to follow through with the teaching. All dogs are able to be housebroken. The size, breed, temperament, and age do not matter. You will be able to teach your dog all of the rules of the house, including leave it, as long as you stick with the plan and follow through at all times.

 

If you have a puppy It's very important for you to house break your puppy properly. Proper house breaking habits need to be taught when your puppy is young, so they don't learn bad habits. Once they start to use bad habits they are very hard to break. You can't really start to house break your puppy until they are around six months old because puppies younger than that probably lack the bowel and bladder control needed for house training.

 

If you decide not to crate your dog then when you're not at home or can't supervise your dog, make sure you keep your dog in a small confined area that is dog proofed. 

 

When you're home, make sure you take your dog out consistently. Start by taking him out every 30 minutes then extend the time as he starts to show more bowel control.  

 

Keeping your dog in a crate can help your dog a lot in controling his bowel control. Dogs don't like to soil their immediate living area, and will naturally try to control their need to go.

 

Reward your dog every time he soils in the area that has been designated for him. You want him to associate relieving himself in the designated  area with rewards, like treats, toys and praise. A little play time makes a good reward, and will reinforce the early bonding between you and your dog.

 

Feed your dog at the same time every day, so that your dogs need to relieve himself becomes consistent. Provide constant access to fresh, clean drinking water. 

 

 Never punish your dog for mistakes. That only leads to fear and confusion in your dog and will make the house breaking process take longer.

 

 House training isn't always the easiest thing to do, and some dogs are much harder to house train than others. It's important to be patient, consistent and loving as you train your dog. A rushed, frightened or intimidated dog will be confused and won't be able to learn the his house training lessons. Once you've gained your dogs love and respect, you'll find that house training your dog is actually easier than you expected.