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Housebreaking is the most indispensable thing your puppy must learn. Common sense should tell you why. Do you want your house to stay spic and span? Handle your puppy’s housebreaking well. Aside from the maintenance of your household hygiene, trained dogs are happy dogs. As creatures of habit, it’s in their nature to keep schedules as pack animals. Here is how you should housebreak your puppy:

Ideal Housebreaking Age

When your puppy reaches the age of 8 to 12 weeks old, it’s high time to begin housebreaking. Remember that adage that old dogs can’t learn new tricks? It is true so why take chances?

Crate Help

Dog trainers suggest using a crate in housebreaking your puppy. A crate is like a cage, with see-through bars and a locking door. Its size should accommodate well the dogs size for it to move around in. It should be used like a dog’s bedroom. It is advised to not confine your puppy in his crate for more than two hours at a time.

The reasoning behind using a crate in housebreaking your puppy is that dogs will not dirty their sleeping areas. However, he may do so if you lock him in somewhere for longer than he can hold it in. Never use a crate to punish your dog, it will backfire. Generally, pups that are three-months old must eliminate every 3 hours, so you should lead him to a special outdoor comfort place more often.