The Best Way To House Train A German Shepherd

House Training A German Shepherd

Potty training a puppy or toilet training a puppy is also known as House breaking a puppy and for many dog owners this is perhaps the most difficult and annoying part of potty training.

Nevertheless, puppy housebreaking needs not be as problematic as some people make it appear. After all, a puppy has not yet established a predictable routine of when and where to go potty, which means you do not need to break an existing routine. In its place, if you do it right, you can fairly and easily train your German Shepherd puppy to follow the routine you want, even at the times you want within limits. 

However, you must be constant when potty training a puppy and you must portray a lot of patience. It will normally take a week or so before your German shepherd puppy is fully housebroken that is if you do it right.  If you do not do it right, or your puppy potty training is inconsistent, your puppy may need many weeks or even months before it is housebroken.

How to housebreak a puppy

First, during the first week of potty training, walk your pups frequently. This could be either in the garden or in a somewhat cordoned off area outside the house. If you have to work from home while you have a puppy, you can easily opt to walk your dog every hour, even if for a few minutes only. This is an important part of the first week of toilet training a puppy.

Secondly, and mostly if you don't work from home, consider to buy one of those porous grass mats, pellets or even a pad. All these products for housebreaking a puppy are essentially indoor dog potties. Some of them use substances that aim to attract your puppy to indeed go potty on the dog potty, instead of leaving the dog potty clean and making your rug dirty.

Third, you realize already that you would preferably keep your German shepherd puppy in a non-carpeted room in the first few weeks - just to be safe.

The best indoor dog potty should be;

• Easy to clean and empty.
• Attractive to your dog so he can really use it.

All indoor dog potties should allow your dog to go potty inside your house. Some dog potties have reservoirs large enough and a drainage system crafted to allow a puppy to go potty numerous times before you need to empty the dog potty.

However, note that whatever indoor dog potty solution you use, be prepared to do a little mopping here and there until your puppy is fully trained.

Fourth, when you are not fast enough to take your puppy for a short walk or to let it in the garden, or to ensure it hits the dog potty, you will be required to clean the affected area thoroughly or else your puppy will be attracted to the same spot and go again on the same same spot. A good solution of concentrated vinegar mixed with water will thoroughly clean up the mess. Do not apply fresh water to the affected. The smell of vinegar will remain there for weeks for your dog but for humans, the smell will disappear after one or two hours. The continuous smell is enough to refrain your dog from using the same spot again to potty.

Fifth, it is wise to try using the same gestures, voice commands or whistles when you want to signal your puppy when and where to go potty. This will help your puppy to develop a potty routine more quickly.

Sixth, if you are going to use an indoor dog potty, ensure that you do not place the dog potty inside the crate or a kennel that is too small. This is because dogs will not want to soil the place where they play or sleep. Eventually this will lead the dog to go do his business elsewhere other than the dog potty and you will be required to apply the vinegar solution again.

Seventh, do not reward your puppy with a treat for expected routine behavior - like to going potty. Expected routine behavior should only be remunerated with praise. Treats should be held in reserve to exceptional, rare behavior. Otherwise you disturb the whole training concept of puppy meals, meal times, and feeding routine.  Finally, giving treats for expected routine behavior would set the wrong stimulus for your dog's behavior in future. The rewards for toileting must always be in form of praise only.

Eighth, another simple rule to follow is to make sure that your puppy does not run free in the house until it is fully housebroken. First your puppy needs to learn where and when to go potty. By limiting your puppy to a small enclosure within your house - which it impulsively will not want to soil - your pups will naturally try to find a different place to go relieve himself.  This is when you need to be ready to take your pups either outside or to the dog potty inside your house.
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If you get these eight points right from the start, then you will see that you can actually manage housebreaking a puppy within a week. German Shepherd puppies in particular are usually very quickly clean indoors, and then they stay clean, while some other breeds do not.

HERE IS A VIDEO OF HOW ON HOW TO POTTY TRAIN YOUR GERMAN SHEPHERD