How do I get my puppy house-trained as quickly as possible?

It is very easy to house train a puppy if:

• The dog is in good health (without parasites, urinary tract infections, etc.)
• The dog is on a quality diet. (If you're not happy with the food your dog is on, make the transition a gradual one - i.e. 75%:25% for three days, 50:50 for three days, 25:75 for the last three days)
• The dog's breeder provided a clean and structured environment and began bonding the puppy to a crate.
• The dog's guardian(s) schedule(s) overlap with the dog's early short-term self control needs.

House training a puppy is very similar to potty training a child. It's a mix of a little organization and a great deal of supervision. Most healthy dogs will reliably adapt to a scheduled trip to the bathroom by 16 weeks of age. Don't be surprised if they are “holding it” through the night much earlier, but don't rely on that as an indication of their day time capacity. During the day, they are easily and often distracted and thus, sometimes miss the internal signals that their bodies provide.

There are a variety of factors influencing how frequently any dog new to a household will need to be escorted out to the bathroom. Play it safe and start your first days together with the assistance of a wrist watch alarm or an oven timer set to remind you to take the puppy out no less than hourly during the day and every three hours through the night. In addition, take puppies out after every meal, treat time, nap time, training, play or chewing session. If the day goes by without an untoward accident, then add anywhere from a half-hour to an hour to the increments. If no matter how diligently you supervise, there are still accidents, cut the time back a notch. Once in the bathroom area, don't hang around too long. In the early stages, five to ten minutes is plenty, more if you wish, but don't over do it. If the dog needs to go, it likely will. As each day goes by, he or she will respond faster and you can pare down the waiting to just a couple of minutes, which you'll be grateful for on those inclement days.

That's the organization part. It's the supervision part where people usually falter. It is hard to teach a student that can so easily stay out of the teacher's reach, let alone leave the classroom as craftily as puppies quickly learn to do the moment you avert your attention. You may find that the easiest way to keep your pup in the classroom, so to speak, is to let it drag a leash around while in your company, so it can't take advantage of a moment's lapse in your attention. Even if the pup does get away, it's easier to collect the little rascal if he gets himself into trouble. In a pinch, a puppy-sized crate that you can keep near you when you are seriously occupied can be used instead of a leash.

You can really help a dog understand what you're expecting and subsequently make the house training process go even more smoothly, if you attach “stage tags” that are uniquely associated with trips to the bathroom.

Some good stage tags are;

• Use a different door (for bathroom trips) than you would use for any other outside activity.
• Separate bathroom and play areas.
• Partially cordon off the bathroom sized area with a temporary fence, such as those found in gardener supplies for small plant protection, allowing for an entrance. They are very inexpensive and worth the investment.
• Use the same encouragement word each time they arrive at the preferred area.
• After they are done and you're both back in the house, give him a little treat. Make sure it is a good quality treat!

Stick to this simple plan and before you know it, your dog will be on a schedule suitable to your own. But don't over feed, as what goes in, must come out!

Animal Behaviourist John Wade (http://www.johnwade.ca/)