When to Begin Housebreaking.

Housebreaking your dog is a must, but it can be difficult for a variety of reasons.  When you begin housebreaking your dog is an extremely important part of the dog training process. If you begin too early your dog may not be ready to begin this kind of dog training, confusing them and agitating you. Many people believe that puppies should not begin any form of training before the age of sixteen weeks. They argue this because they feel dogs should spend this time getting acclimated to the home and family they will be residing in and with for the rest of their lives. This argument is used by people that use disciplinary action in their training. They feel like dogs under the age of sixteen weeks are too young to experience the stress and possible pain of dog training. We couldn’t disagree more. You can start training your dog to be housebroken immediately because you will NEVER use mental or physical discipline on your dog for any reason.

Studies show that disciplinary training is less effective then rewarding positive behavior, and it can have serious affects on your dog’s social skills. Training is about rewarding good habits. Because of this training your dog to go potty outside can begin the minute they enter your home. Just so you know, your dog will pee and poop in your home numerous times before they learn to go outside. In fact, even after you think they know to go outside they will still use your carpet as a toilet. But if you reward the act of going outside they will begin to realize that by going to the bathroom on the lawn or in the woods will get them more attention, and that is exactly what they want.

Begin dog training your dog at seven weeks of age. Seven weeks? Yeah that’s what I said seven weeks. If you wait to bring a dog home until they are twelve weeks they may have already developed many bad habits before they even get to you. For example, dogs living in kennels or with breeders often learn to relieve themselves whenever they choose. This is acceptable in kennels and amongst breeders, but is hardly acceptable on your carpet. If, however, you begin your dog training as early as seven weeks the good behavior will get locked in at a young age and never become a long term issue. The other great thing about puppies that age is that they are very eager to please their parents/owners. If you begin training them at this age by rewarding positive behavior they will do whatever they can for your love and attention. This works for all forms of dog training.

Training your dog is a daunting task. You should jump at any advantages that you can get to help you and your dog achieve your training goals. The advantage of young age has been proven to be successful numerous times. So the first time your dog has an accident take them outside. The first time they go outside reward them with a treat and some loving attention. This is the best dog training method hands down, and it is also a great way to form a loving bond.