House-training a puppy
House-training a puppy is an important part of raising one. House-training a dog is a process that requires time and patience, especially when you bring a puppy home. Be aware that at 8 weeks old, puppies need to urinate every hour. Puppies also poop an average of 4 times a day. At night, they need to urinate approximately 1 to 2 times. Once a puppy is 7 months old, it will urinate an average of 3 to 4 times and poop approximately 2 times a day. During the first few months, as an owner you will therefore have your hands full with a puppy; you will need to take the puppy outside very regularly so that it learns that this is where it should relieve itself.
Common problems when house-training a puppy
Whether a puppy becomes house-trained depends on how you raise it. Owners often punish their puppies too much and/or at the wrong time. In addition, a lack of knowledge about learning principles plays an important role and can, in some cases, cause several common problems during house-training. These can range from accidents in the house to fear of going for walks. It is important to resolve these problems quickly. That is the only way to raise a happy, well-trained dog.
Some common problems and solutions:
- Accidents in the house: when a puppy has not had enough opportunities to go outside or does not understand where it should relieve itself, it may continue to have accidents. In this case, it is important to take your puppy outside more often, and perhaps for longer, and reward it when it relieves itself outdoors.
- Urinating out of submission: Puppies still have a lot to learn and may behave submissively, particularly around older dogs and sometimes around people. When an older dog, for example, sniffs your puppy, or when a person approaches your puppy, the animal may adopt a low posture (holding its head low and letting its tail hang down; sometimes the puppy may also crouch down) and release some urine. Unfortunately, this can sometimes also happen indoors.
- Urinating after a nap: When your puppy has just woken up from a nap, it may release urine. It is not fully awake yet and may not have sufficient control over its sphincter. A simple solution is to take your puppy outside before bedtime and take it outside immediately after it wakes up.
- Urinating from excitement: Excitement urination mainly occurs in puppies with a full bladder who then become excited. Puppies do not yet have sufficient control over their sphincters. This behavior usually disappears when a puppy is around 8 to 10 months old.
- Fear of going outside: Some dogs can become very stressed or even fearful during walks and may therefore be unable to relieve themselves. In this case, it is important to take your dog out in a quiet, safe place. Give it time to calm down and relax, and reward your four-legged friend after it has relieved itself.
- Marking: If you have a male puppy, it may begin to establish or mark its territory at around 8 months of age. Around this age, a male puppy’s hormones become active. It is no longer quite a puppy, but it is not yet an adult either. Puppies then learn to lift their leg and start marking. A puppy may then urinate indoors against a table leg or the corner of the sofa… It is important to stop this unwanted behavior. Marking is most common in males that have not been neutered. In 67% of male dogs, marking stops after they are neutered.
- An irregular routine: Dogs are creatures of habit by nature and do best with a consistent routine. When a dog does not have a regular routine, this can result in accidents. Creating and following a fixed schedule for feeding and walking your puppy can be a solution.
- Accidents caused by being unable to stay alone: Some dogs urinate when they are home alone. This may be because they are unable to cope well with being alone and may even suffer from separation anxiety. When everyone, or a particular person, leaves the house, the dog may release urine. This is not caused by the dog not being taken outside often enough, but genuinely by separation anxiety.
- Old age: Some older dogs may suffer from dementia and consequently have accidents. It is also possible that a dog’s sphincter no longer functions properly or sufficiently, causing it to release urine indoors. If there are no medical causes, taking your four-legged friend out more often may help. If there is a medical cause, medication may be a solution.
Tips for house-training your dog
An important part of house-training a dog is establishing a routine. Dogs are creatures of habit and feel most comfortable when they know what is expected of them. By establishing a routine, such as taking your puppy outside at set times of day, you can help it learn to become house-trained. Rewards are also a powerful tool. These can take the form of a treat, a pat on the head, or a toy. By rewarding good behavior, you show your four-legged friend that this behavior is appreciated, making it more likely to repeat it.
When you start house-training, it is important to remember that every dog is unique and that solutions that work for one dog will not always work for another. It is important to be patient and consistent in your approach. If your dog continues to struggle with house-training, consult a professional dog trainer for further help; you can also contact your veterinarian to rule out any health problems.
