How to Housebreak a Puppy Without a Crate

By J.R. Kendall

Instructions

Step 1:
Establish pack leadership immediately. As soon as a puppy is brought home, utilize consistent behaviors and training sessions. Exercises to promote this include walking through doors before the pooch, not paying attention to the puppy while it is whining, not feeding it table food and exerting a calm and assertive energy at all times. A puppy that trusts its controlled and calm leader is more likely to obey when commands are given.
Step 2:
Choose a housebreaking method. There are many puppy potty-training supplies available to consumers, including pretreated trays and pads. For dog owners choosing to not utilize a crate for the puppy training process, a pretreated pad will work as a successful transition stage. Place scented pads (over a hardwood or tile floor) in a common room area that is away from where the dog sleeps at night. The fragrant pads will encourage the dog to go to the bathroom in the specified area. As the training process progresses, move the pretreated pads or trays closer to the door. As the dog continues to successfully respond in the desired way, move the pads into the back yard. Eventually, the dog will learn to go outside when it needs to go to the bathroom.
Step 3:
Respond appropriately to produce effective, housebroken results. Look for specific puppy behaviors that may signal your puppy needs to go to the bathroom. This may include circling an area or sniffing the tile floors. If witnessing such behaviors, take the puppy outside immediately. As a pack leader, the puppy owner must practice giving the correct command, such as "go potty" to promote the desired reaction. If the puppy goes to the bathroom on the pretreated pad (or goes outside appropriately), praise the puppy and allow it time for affection and play. Never harm or scold a puppy, no matter how frustrated you get during the potty training process. Consider using "clicker training" to help encourage your puppy (see Resources).
Step 4:
Reduce opportunities to go to the bathroom. Because an unsupervised puppy will not have a crate to confine it, keep the puppy with the family while in the house or in a gated tile/hardwood-floored room. Controlling the environment will help prevent in-home potty messes. Remember, a puppy will make mistakes; Should you discover an unsightly mess in the house, clean and deodorize the area efficiently and don't yell at or harm the puppy. Stay positive and, through consistent action, the puppy will develop housebreaking skills.
Step 5:
Remember that consistent actions reap great rewards. Always take the puppy out right after it's had food or water, after playtime, when it awakes from a nap (or in the morning) and before bedtime. If nightly messes occur, remove access to water 1 or 2 hours before you go to sleep. Follow a regular schedule to help your puppy understand and trust that you will care for its needs.

Tips & Warnings

Follow all puppy nutrition, health and exercise care guidelines to promote a healthy and happy puppy.
Never hurt or harm a puppy.Ensure regular visits to the veterinarian to help your puppy mature into a healthy adult dog.

Resources

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