Socialize Your Hunting Dog Puppy

One of the most frustrating parts of having a new bird dog puppy is housebreaking. Here are some hints to guide you.

Telling if it’s Potty time
Puppies will “signal” you when he has to go. Here’s what you should watch for:
Circling, sniffing around
Stops play activities or strays off in a different direction
Squirming or whining while you’re handling them.
Stands right at the exit or door
If the puppy shows you any of these signs, you should take them out right away.

Be Consistent
If you provide a regular routine for your dog to get accustomed to going to the bathroom, you’ll have far more success in the housebreaking since puppies confuse very easily.

Know when your puppy will most likely need to “potty”.
When he gets up in the morning
After a nap
Right after eating or drinking
During or after play times
After being confined
Right before going to bed

It’s important that you don’t change your dogs routine just because it’s the weekend. You might want to keep a record of your puppies bathroom habits until you figure out what works best for him. Make sure your family members all understand the routine and what the ‘key words’ are that you’re using for your dog – don’t confuse him with varying ‘signals’.

If you and your family members are all using different ‘key words’ to get your dog to go out, or if you’re varying their routine too much, it’s ultimately going to be more difficult to get your puppy trained. The more consistent the training, the quicker your dog is going to learn to understand what you expect from him.

Basics of Housebreaking
The main housebreaking goal is for your puppy to learn to “go” outside. Puppies have smaller bladders so you should make sure to take your puppy outside if you decide to crate train him. Crates and kennels can be used, and your puppy might like the feeling of den-like security.

If you work during the day, rather than leaving your dog in a crate for the entire day, consider a puppy play area or even a gate to confine him to one room in the house. This is helpful even if you’re at home and you don’t want the dog running all over the house when you’re not paying attention!

Take your puppy out on a leash to his potty spot. Give your command (“go potty!”) and wait for him to do something. Praise him, reward him, and wait for him to “potty” again. A puppy usually won’t empty his bladder right away. If you take him inside at this point, he’ll have an accident in the house. When he “potties” again, praise him, reward him, and let him off the leash to play. When walking your puppy, wait until he finishes before you continue your walk.

Make sure you always praise your puppy and give him extra attention and play when he goes potty outside in the right place. You shouldn’t punish for accidents because this won’t help. If your puppy does accidentally go in the house, use a product like “Nature’s Miracle”, which is an odor enzyme remover instead of bleach or other harsh chemical products since this can make your puppy sick.

What to do if you don’t have a yard
Paper training in one option. Follow the same housebreaking routine laid out above. But train your puppy to “potty” on a paper instead of outside. Nature’s Miracle makes grass scented puppy pads to help with this type of training.

You can also go with a litter box. You can find special doggie litter and and litter boxes at the pet store made just for dogs, since it is different from cat or other litter. You should still follow the same housebreaking rules.

Training your puppy to potty on paper or in a litter box offers you and your puppy another option when traditional housebreaking isn’t possible. It doesn’t mean that he’ll never learn to potty outside.

With patience and consistency in your routine, you’ll be amazed how soon your puppy will learn to potty in the right place.

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