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There are many contributing factors to how long it may take you to housetrain your puppy. Including - breed, age, and overall health. Housetraining your puppy takes patience and vigilance. Please see our recommended reading and training links for help with housetraining. However, there are a few key ingredients to help you with your success.

Routine: Puppies do best with a schedule. You should feed your puppy at the same time each day. Depending on their age puppies need to be fed about 3 – 4 times a day. If your puppy is eating at the same times each day it will make it more likely that he’ll eliminate at consistent times as well.

Frequency: Take your puppy out frequently at least every 2 hours. Look for signs that he may need to eliminate, like circling, whining or sniffing. When you see these signs take your puppy outside immediately.

Confinement: We strongly encourage owners to employ crate training to facilitate housetraining. Like a cave or a den, a crate or kennel provides an area where the puppy can take a time out and feel secure and safe. The first few times in the crate should be a positive experience. Never scold your puppy by putting him the crate or he will associate being scolded with his crate. Puppies like to keep their den clean so they will try to avoid “messing” in the crate if at all possible.

Accidents: Expect them. Occasional accidents are to be expected. If you catch your puppy in the middle of an accident immediately take them outside.

Praise: This is the most vital step to successful potty training. Praise your puppy verbally and give them a treat immediately after he’s finished eliminating outdoors. Make sure the food treat you give him has a high value. If it is a food that your puppy goes crazy for your puppy has more motivation to please you with positive behavior.

In terms of feeding schedule, we recommend feeding puppies at specific times of the day. A measured amount of food should be offered 3-4 times a day to a puppy 6-20 weeks of age. What is not eaten after 15-20 minutes should be taken away. After 6 months of age 2 meals will be sufficient for most dogs. Many of the bagged and canned dog foods available do provide a balanced diet, however, there are certain foods we will recommend as better choices. Please see our list of recommended foods which we have listed on our resources page.

Puppies love to chew. Chewing is an instinctive behavior for puppies and is an expected behavior until they about at least 6 – 8 months in age. Chew toys such as Nyla Bones or Kong toys work well to help pacify this instinct. Make sure that toys are large enough that your puppy will not choke or swallow them. For some puppies rawhide bones are too tough and they can cause teeth to fracture, resulting in painful dental problems. Puppies’ baby teeth begin to be replaced by adult teeth at 4 – 6 months of age and it is normal for a small amount of blood to be seen as they loosen.

Many dog trainers and veterinarians now recommend a variety of very firm rubber toys (virtually indestructible) that have a hollow center into which food and treats can be stuffed. As the eager pet chews the toy small morsels of treat fall out and are eaten, only to prompt further chewing. The most common of these toys are called Kongs®. Please ask us about your specific toys or let us know what has worked for you. Avoid toys which can be chewed into pieces that can become lodged in the stomach and cause an obstruction in the digestive system. This has been the cause for many emergency surgeries. In addition, many dogs are sensitive to the preservatives used to condition the bones and will have stomach upset (diarrhea and vomiting) from chewing them.

It is a good idea to touch your puppies’ feet and toes often as soon as you bring them home. It is a good idea to start trimming puppy’s claws when they are first brought into the house. Purchase a good quality nail trimmer and a product called quick stop. Begin by trimming off the last 1 – 2 millimeters of the claw a couple of times over the course of a week. Avoid trimming the “quick” or pink part of the nail that provides its blood supply. If bleeding occurs your can push the quick stop into the nail to stop the bleeding. If you do not have quick stop on hand you can use corn meal, flour. Always give your puppy a reward of verbal praise or a treat immediately after finishing. You can tell the nails need to be trimmed when your puppy’s paws “click” on the ground when he/she is walking. We would be happy to give you a demonstration on how to trim the nails.

Most leashes and collars on the market are acceptable for dogs. Obedience trainers seem to favor leather leashes 6 feet long and have a width sufficient enough to withstand prolonged pulling. In general rope leashes should be avoided because a strong pull from your companion can cause rope burn. We discourage choke and prong collars because we feel that they are inappropriate for all but the most aggressive dogs, and in those cases behavioral training is a necessity. Small and toy breeds often respond best to a harness that places pressure on their chest rather than on their small necks.

The first step in acclimating your puppy to a collar is to put one on in a quiet, non-threatening manner. Have your puppy wear it around the house and make sure it is not so loose that he can chew on it. Once your puppy is used to the collar you can attach the leash to the collar in the house. Allow your puppy to walk around with the leash on but do not pick the leash up or apply any pressure to it. Only after she is used to seeing it on her can you then pick the leash up and apply gentle tension. Gradually increase the amount of tension while praising your puppy and giving her positive reinforcement. You will gradually be able to move to the outside and enjoy walking with your puppy. Another great trick when you are beginning to leash walk outdoors is to carry your puppy a block away from your home, set him/her down, and then walk back toward your home. Walking toward your home is more familiar to your puppy and will increase the chances of him feeling comfortable with the leash.

When considering a microchip for your pet you should know the following facts: More than 10 million pets are lost each year; 50% of dogs and 75% of cats arrive at shelters without collars; over 20,000 pets have been returned to their owners through the HomeAgain® system. A microchip is a pet retrieval system that involves injecting a small microchip, about the size of a grain of rice, under the skin between the shoulder blades of a dog or cat in much the same way a vaccine is administered. Each chip has a unique digit code that must be registered with the AKC’s program. When a lost pet arrives at a shelter or veterinary clinic a special handheld scanner is passed over the shoulder blades. The scanner can read the identification number and the shelter can then notify the AKC and the pet’s owner or a veterinarian.