House Training Dogs, Housebreaking a Dog, Housebreaking a Puppy


House training dogs puppies…

On this page we have provided the best free puppy dog training tips to cure common problems when house training a dog or puppy.

On this page you will learn what to do if you catch your dog about to pee, what to do if you didn’t catch him peeing and the steps you need to take when cleaning up.


House Training Dogs

What to do if you catch your dog about to pee in the House

If you spot your dog or puppy displaying the signs that he is about to have an accident in the House, these are the steps that you should take…

  • The most important thing to do is to interrupt this behavior. You can do this with a sharp clap of the hands.
  • Don’t punish your dog or puppy as he will not understand the what he is being punished for.
  • If you do make the mistake of constantly punishing your dog or puppy, he may start to find discreet areas of the House to have accidents or he may even stop doing his business in front of you.This could become a major problem if he refuses to pee when out for a walk for fear of being punished and then waits until he gets home and pees where you can’t see him.
  • After you have interrupted your dog or puppy at the point he is about to potty take him outside.
  • When your dog has done his business give him a treat and lots and lots of praise.

When house training dogs it is very important to reward good behavior as this will train your dog much faster.

For more information on reward based dog training take a look at our section on positive reinforcement.


House Training Dogs

What to do if you didn’t catch your dog in the act of peeing

Never punish your dog if he has an accident as dogs and puppies don’t know when they have done something wrong.

  • A dog or puppy do not understand the moral concepts associated with what is wrong and what is right.
  • Your dog or puppy can’t associate between your brand new sofa and the newspaper thats been placed on the floor.
  • Unfortunately, people often think that just because a dog or puppy looks guilty with his head cast down and feeling sorry for himself that he knows peeing on the floor is wrong…All that your dog or puppy has learned is that when you show specific body language he realizes he is about to be punished. He has not learned to associate the act of peeing on the floor with being bad.
  • By rolling over on his back or wagging his tail he is actually trying make you calm down.

House Training Dogs

How to clear up any accidents

  • It is important that you avoid cleaning up any accidents in front of your dog or puppy as you are paying attention to the mistake.
  • Use a biological washing up powder and afterwards use some surgical spirit to get rid of any smells that may still encourage your dog or puppy to pee in that area.
  • Do not use any products that contain ammonia to clean up dog pee as this is a natural ingredient in a dog’s urine and will encourage him to pee in that area again.