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Housebreaking A Stubborn Puppy

Teaching your dog to adapt to living indoors can be difficult, which is why many owners look for advice about housebreaking a stubborn puppy. Fortunately, most dogs can be taught anything if you’re persistent enough with your teaching, so there are many methods that you can try.

In today’s article, we’ll be taking a look at how to housebreak a stubborn puppy.

housebreaking a stubborn puppy
Housebreaking a Stubborn Puppy

Understand The Puppy’s Needs

It seems that many owners don’t understand that puppies have needs just like adult dogs. Understanding their psychology is going to be crucial if you want to housebreak a puppy.

For example, it’s completely normal for the puppy to be nervous in its new environment. This isn’t only normal for puppies, but for adult dogs too – moving from one home to another can be extremely stressful for them. Because of this, it’s important to stay patient and let the dog adapt to its surroundings.

It’s important to give your dog both space and time and let them get comfortable, as it’s pointless to try any training if they’re not relaxed and not ready to cooperate.

Another thing that you have to keep in mind is the fact that some breeds hate living indoors. This usually refers to larger and more active breeds, like the German Shepherd or the Rottweiler. Many breeds don’t mind living in closed spaces, like the Pug or the English Bulldog.

However, if you have a large breed of dog, they’ll have a lot of trouble getting comfortable because of their size. Even if they become comfortable, they’d be much more comfortable if they had a large yard.

This is why it’s important to recognize the signs that your pup is going to show you when it wants to be let out or taken out for a walk.

So, to sum it up, you need to get your dog to feel comfortable in their own home, as no training will ever function until they feel safe and relaxed.

Related Reading: How To Potty Train A Pug Puppy?

Housebreaking A Stubborn Puppy

For the record, if you live in a house with a yard, it’s 100% better to let your dog out when it needs to urinate or defecate – this is the simplest and the best solution for both you and the dog.

However, not all of us have that comfort. So, if you have no other option but to teach your dog to use the potty, there are a few steps that work best.

Firstly, let your dog establish an area in your home as their area. They’ll feel perfectly safe here and it will be much less of a problem teaching them and getting them to use the potty in this area, as in comparison to other areas of your home.

According to experts, it’s best to potty train right after your dog has had a meal or after they woke up from a nap. The latter might be more difficult since your dog will nap now and again without you even noticing, and also because you’re going to be home every time you feed your pup.

It’s also important to remember that the best way to teach your dog anything, including potty, is positive reinforcement. Punishing your dog because they didn’t get the lesson and they didn’t use the potty makes no sense as dogs can’t understand what we’re explaining to them.

What your dog will understand, however, is getting a treat every time it uses the potty. It might sound silly, to reward a dog for something so rudimentary, but this is the best way to do it.

Crating Your Dog

A lot of people have an issue with crating their dog as they think it’s in the grey zone of humane and inhumane, but there’s nothing wrong with crating your dog. It shouldn’t be done as punishment, though.

Crating your dog can be a useful method when you’re housebreaking them, as you can use the crate to teach them to go to the right spot. After letting them out of their crates, show them where the right spot is and teach them to go there.

It should be noted that, once again, larger dogs can be more difficult to train than smaller dogs. Even though larger dogs are on average more intelligent and easier to train than smaller dogs, larger dogs feel much more comfortable in open areas, such as yards.

If you insist on keeping a dog indoors, it’d be much better to keep a small, indoor breed than a large, outdoor breed, as you’re going to have much less trouble.

stubborn puppy
Stubborn Puppy

To End

If you want to live your life in harmony with your dog, it’s crucial to housebreak them and teach them to potty. This, however, can be difficult as it’s not natural for dogs to defecate and urinate in a single spot. It’s important to stay patient, stay calm, and teach them through play and treats.

FAQ

How do you housebreak a difficult dog?

The only true answer is - you do it slowly and patiently. It's also going to help if you have a smaller dog, as they're more accustomed to closed spaces and they won't have as much trouble living inside.

How long does it take for a puppy to be housebroken?

There is absolutely no rule here - there are puppies that easily follow commands, understand what you're saying, and they follow the rule after a week or two. Then there are puppies that take months to show signs of progress.

Are some dogs impossible to housebreak?

Impossible is a big word in this sense - it's true that there are individual dogs that are seemingly helpless. However, if you're having that much trouble and can't seem to housebreak your dog, visit a dog trainer.

Why is my dog being stubborn about potty training?

Firstly, because it's a puppy - it's playful and it wants to play. You should present the training through play by using treats. Secondly, it's important to stay calm and patient.

stuart and his dog

Family Dog Expert Author

Hi there! I’m Stuart, a devoted dog lover and family dog expert with over a decade of experience working with our furry companions. My passion for dogs drives me to share my knowledge and expertise, helping families build strong, loving bonds with their four-legged friends. When I’m not writing for SirDoggie, you’ll find me hiking, playing with my beautiful dog, or studying music.