How long does it take to housebreak a dog?
That depends!
First and foremost, you must start with a healthy dog.
Dogs with physical conditions that prevent them from “holding it” to potty at an appropriate time in an appropriate place cannot be “blamed” for eliminating inappropriately.
Your puppy or dog should come to you with a clean bill of health from a reputable breeder or a conscientious shelter or rescue organization. You may have been offered the opportunity to get a free “well puppy” or “well dog” check-up with your own veterinarian. Don’t assume that all is well. Make an appointment and take your puppy or dog to that free check-up. Report to your veterinarian any behavior you may have seen that would indicate that your new pet is having difficulties with elimination—unusual frequency of urination, straining to defecate, diarrhea, vomiting, lack of interest in food or drink.
That first veterinary visit with your new family member is your chance to get information. Take all the time your veterinarian will give. Ask questions—lots of questions!
“What is normal?”
“What should it look like?”
“When will this be over?”
Keep in mind that your new family member may check out as healthy on that initial visit and days later might still become unwell. In the first few weeks with a new pet, keep track of many incidentals, so that you have a record of every day’s details. Here are some basic categories:
- How much/often was he fed? (Use a measuring cup.)
- How much/often did he eat?
- How much/often did he drink?
- What else did he eat? (Treats, food-stuffed toys, chews . . . and any off-limits items, too!)
- How much/often did he eliminate . . . and where?
- How much/often did he sleep . . . and where?
- How many times did he go out/eliminate during the night?
When a puppy or dog is new to your household, it’s important to figure out what’s “normal” for that particular animal. Every one is different. Don’t start your relationship off badly by assuming the animal is being willful or disobedient because you’re having problems with housebreaking.
It’s never the animal’s fault if housebreaking is difficult.
You suspect health issues? Go back to your vet clinic!
Using a crate effectively can help you speed up the process of housebreaking.
Dogs are naturally clean animals—they avoid eliminating where they sleep.
Crates confine the dog to a small area with only enough room to sleep.
Dogs learn to “hold it” until they are taken from the crate to the potty area.
Dogs are rewarded both by the physical relief of elimination and by the praise/treats/play given to them by their owners immediately after they have eliminated. Behavior that is rewarded will continue, so every time the dog eliminates in the potty area, the chances that he will eliminate in the potty area again are increased.
Conversely, every time the dog eliminates in an inappropriate place—like inside your house—he has the relief of elimination, at least. Should he also get attention for that inappropriate elimination—for example, if his owners chase him around the house and he likes being chased around the house—the chances that he will again eliminate inappropriately likewise increase.
Your job is to cut down to zero the chances that your dog will eliminate inappropriately.
Here’s how the crate can help:
- Crate the dog if you don’t know for sure that he is empty.
- Take the dog out every hour to potty.
- Give the dog a limited amount of time in the potty area.
- Praise and reward with treats/toys/play for elimination.
- Stay outside and interact with your empty dog.
- Time’s up and the dog did not eliminate? No praise/treats/toys/play.
- Inside, crate the dog that did not eliminate. Try again hourly.
- The dog that did eliminate gets to stay out of the crate and interact.
Don’t assume your “empty” dog stays that way for long! I suggest that time out of the crate be limited to very short periods, especially for puppies and adult dogs that have never been housebroken. If possible, make sure the dog has a chance to go to his potty area again before you re-crate him after his time loose in the house. Repeat frequently through the day.
Feed meals when you know you will be around to let the dog out afterward. Don’t feed dinner then leave the dog crated for the rest of the night! The younger the dog, the smaller the bladder and bowels, and for many puppies and some adult dogs, eating kicks off the need to eliminate. If you put a full animal into a crate, you are greatly increasing the chances that he will need to “go” while he is there. Give him a chance to “empty” himself with a successful trip to the potty area before you crate him, especially after meals.
For housebreaking purposes, especially with puppies, I advise setting your alarm for “potty breaks” during the night. You could wait until the puppy lets you know he needs to go by whining or barking in his kennel. But responding to noise in the crate by letting the dog out . . . we don’t do that!
Setting the schedule yourself by using an alarm makes more sense for most people and most dogs. You may sleep more soundly knowing you don’t have to “keep an ear open” for the puppy’s noises. The pup may not need to eliminate when you take him out in the middle of the night, but he’s had a chance and that’s the best you can do. Give him another chance in an hour (no matter how much you don’t want to get out of bed). The better you handle the housebreaking schedule, the sooner you’ll get to sleep through the night!
Keeping the crate in the room where you sleep works for some puppies and some people, too. I like knowing if my puppy is restless in the night. He might be uncomfortable. I wait until he’s quiet in the crate—even for just a second—then let him out and take him to the potty area. If he eliminates, I reset my alarm for a couple of hours later. You might need a good night’s sleep, though; if someone else in the family is doing housebreaking duty, crate the pup wherever it’s convenient. Try for a location where the comings and goings won’t interrupt your rest.
Understand that the first few weeks of puppy-rearing are going to be work-intensive and often sleepless—and enjoy the process! Housebreaking a puppy can go fairly quickly if you’re doing it right. The puppy will be sleeping through the night soon, and your schedule will go back to normal.
Housebreaking grown dogs can go even faster. They have the capacity to “hold it” for much longer. Be aware, though, that some dogs (intact or neutered) “mark” with urine. This is a different issue than being unhousebroken.
No dog—puppy or adult—is guaranteed housebroken. I strongly urge you to continue crating your new pet when you are not around to supervise him, even though he may be housebroken. Reduce the possibility that, for whatever reason, your “housebroken” dog will have an “accident.” Keep watching him, noting his regular schedule, remembering to help him all you can to be successful. When there is a lapse on the dog’s part, don’t lose your cool—remember that it’s still not his fault. Figure out where you went wrong, or what unusual circumstances might have caused the lapse. Once there’s been a lapse, return to strict crating so “lapsing” won’t become a habit.
Should your normally housebroken dog suddenly start eliminating all over your house, no matter how well you remembered all the rules and reinforced his housebreaking, look to a health issue and, full circle, make a visit to your veterinarian with this issue as a focus. Many health problems show up first as unusual elimination behavior. It’s a sure sign your dog needs veterinary care. Should your dog turn out to be absolutely healthy yet still continue to eliminate inappropriately, it might be time to seek out the help of a dog behavior specialist. Ask your veterinarian or class instructor for referrals.
