Successfully house-training a puppy involves several stages, and mastering the art of your puppy communicating their need to go outside is a crucial next step. This guide builds upon foundational house-breaking principles, focusing on teaching your puppy to actively signal when they need to relieve themselves. By implementing this “add-on” procedure during supervised indoor time, you can significantly shorten your house-training timeline and foster better communication with your canine companion.
The Prerequisite for Success
Before embarking on this advanced stage of house training, it’s essential to ensure your puppy has a solid understanding of the basics. This means you should have already followed the protocols outlined in “House Breaking 101” for several weeks. Your puppy should consistently follow the established schedule without any accidents during this period. Ideally, your puppy may have already begun to indicate their need to go outside independently at times. Skipping these foundational steps can lead to setbacks and prolong the overall house-training process.
The Goal: Promoting a “Request” to Go Outside
The primary objective of this phase is to cultivate the understanding in your puppy that they need to communicate their need to go outside. We achieve this by creating a situation where your puppy realizes they require your assistance to access the outdoors. By slightly ajarring the door, we encourage your puppy to “ask” for your help, thereby reinforcing the desired behavior.
Implementing the “Add-On” Procedure
This technique is designed to be integrated into your existing routine during periods of supervised indoor time. Ensure that your puppy has access to the door through which they are consistently taken for bathroom breaks.
Let Your Pup Smell the Outside
During this transitional training period, keep the primary bathroom door slightly cracked open. This opening should be sufficient for your puppy to smell the outside air but not wide enough for them to pass through independently. For sliding patio doors, simply pull the door open an inch or so. For regular swinging doors, an old-fashioned wedge-type door stopper can be effective. Alternatively, a security door chain can be used on swinging doors, allowing the door to be propped open slightly while maintaining security. Some clients have also installed security bolts in their sliding doors to achieve the same “cracked open” effect without compromising external security.
Encourage “Going Outside” When Your Pup Smells the Outside Air
Initiate your established “going outside ritual” each time your puppy begins to sniff the outside air through the cracked door. As they sniff, gently ask, “Do you want to go outside?” Pause for a few seconds to a minute, waiting for an affirmative signal from your puppy. Common signals include whining, a small bark, or pawing at the door. If you observe your puppy moving away from you and intently sniffing the floor, it may be an indication they need to go out. Guide them to the partially open door and pause, awaiting their signal. Have your leash readily accessible to accompany your puppy outside, ensuring they go directly to the designated bathroom area. It is crucial to supervise these trips, keeping them on a leash, rather than allowing them to wander freely in the backyard.
Utilizing Bells for Notification
If you have chosen to use hanging bells as a communication method, the procedure remains similar. Once you reach the partially open door, wait until your puppy’s sniffing causes the bells to jingle. Immediately praise them, offer a treat, and open the door. Remember to have these bells jingling throughout the initial phase of training whenever you take your puppy outside, so they become accustomed to their sound.
Encourage Only Bathroom Trips Outside
It is vital during this training phase to exclusively use the “outside” ritual for bathroom breaks. Avoid mixing “business with pleasure” by taking your puppy to the bathroom area and then engaging in extensive play in the same spot immediately afterward. This separation is particularly important when teaching the “ask to go out” skill. When your puppy signals they need to go outside, ensure they understand this is solely for relieving themselves. After they have finished, return inside. If you wish to play outside, organize a separate play session later.
HINT: When going outside for play or a walk, use a different phrase than the one used to announce a bathroom trip (e.g., avoid saying “Do you want to go ‘outside’?” if this is your bathroom cue).
NOTE: It is perfectly acceptable and even encouraged for your puppy to eliminate outside while playing or on a walk. The explicit separation of the “bathroom” ritual from play and walk rituals is solely to solidify the prompt “do you want to go outside” and the skill of “asking” to go out.
This next stage of training is an exciting step towards a fully house-trained and communicative puppy. With patience and consistency, you’re almost there!
Additional Resources:
- House Breaking 101
- Crate Training 101
- Your Puppy’s First Couple of Weeks: Tips to Make the Transition Easier
Best of luck with all your puppy training!
