I am still in DC attending the Taking Action Foir Animals Conference, it has been an emotional and eye opening experience. As much work that I have put in to caring for animals and their issues, I have found it is not enough. I will post another blog on this event next weekend.

Anyway, several dogs are given up or thrown in animal shelters and abandoned because people are not patient enough to take the time to housebreak their dog, they get tired of cleaning up after their dog and eventually give him up. I have been asked several times how I keep my home so clean and free of dog urine and marking and accidents. I have also been asked what do I do to housebreak my dogs and rescues, so I decided to blog my response, in hopes that it will help those to train and hopefully keep their dog, so here it is:

As soon as you get up, take your dogs outside, I do it as soon as I am up off my bed and before I even go to the bathroom myself. so I take them out for about 10 minutes, bring them in and feed them, then you get yourself ready, showered and have your breakfast, then take them out again, preferably 20-30 minutes after they eat. bring them in for the day, have a cue that you give your dogs so they know you are leaving, I usually give mine a round of treats or baby carrots. Then as soon as you come through the door again, take them out again before you do anything, dogs need cues, my guys usually run for the back door when I come in because they know they are going out for a potty break. Depending on how many times you are in and out always remember when you come in, they go out asap, they should always go outside a few minutes before you leave the house, if you are lucky enough to come home and check in on them during your workday, then that is great, but if you are not, then as soon as you get home, take them out, feed them their dinner, wait 20 minutes, take them out again and then take your dogs out every three hours therafter or 1 hour before bedtime, whichever is applicable. If you have a dog that may be urinating at night in the house, take up the water 2-3 hours before bedtime.

When housebreaking a dog, you should always use some type of confinement, block off your kitchen or dining room with a baby gate and possibly lay down a wee wee pad until your dog is fully housebroken. If your dog is really having a hard time being housebroken, then you may want to consider using a crate. When using a crate, the same rules apply, you get up, take out the dog, feed him and take him out again 20 mins after his breakfast, crate him before you leave, take him out as soon as you get home, feed him dinner, take out again 20 mins after dinner, and then use the 1 hour before bedtime or every three hour rule until bedtime.

Key Factors:

Keep your dog on a routine

Provide cues

Confine until he has earned the privlege to roam the house

Clean up thoroughly after each accident, make sure all urine or feces has really been cleaned up

Use a wee wee pad when your dog is confined

Use a belly band for those with the tendency to mark, until they are housebroken

Dogs need consistency, cues and a tight schedule, they need structure, if your schedule is all over the place, then your dog does not have a routine to help him figure out what he needs to do. A dog should never have full run of the house until he is fully housebroken, it is his right to earn that privlege. Dogs need leadership and guidance, it is up to you to guide them and offer them some structure, I am almost certain that if you do, they will follow. The only other reason that your dog may not be responding to training may be that he/she has a Urinary Tract Infection.

I hope this has helped you all, please feel free to write if you have questions.

pug hugs

Eev/The Pug Hotel