It can be difficult to housetrain a rescue dog. Here’s how to do it in two simple steps!
Congratulations — you rescued a dog! Now it’s time to train him! This article will help you housetrain your new furry friend in just a couple simple steps.
1. Use a crate
First and foremost, paper training it not recommended. The best method for house training a dog is using a crate – you can find some detailed tips on how to do this at http://apdt.com/m/benefits/handouts/docs/APDT_CrateTraining.pdf.
If you are paper training him because you live in an apartment where taking him outside is difficult, one good option is something called a Potty Park (there are several manufacturers who make a similar product). Basically, you want to keep the dog under 100% supervision so they don’t get to go anywhere other than where you want them to go. This is why the crate is very useful. If that’s not an option, you could baby gate them into a room that has a tile or concrete floor, like a bathroom or laundry room, or tie the dog to you with a leash around your waist.
2. Use positive reinforcement and consistency
The second you see him squatting to pee, run over to the place you want him to go and then reward him effusively when he eliminates (lots of verbal praise, petting and a food treat or a toy depending on what he really likes). The key to housetraining is complete consistency. The dog needs to develop a history of going where you want him to, and any chance he gets to go elsewhere slows down the learning for him so he understands what it is you need. On the plus side, being an adult, the amount of time your dog can wait before going is longer than with a puppy!