Learning how to house train an outside dog is critical for a stress-free life with your pup!
So if you have a dog that has usually spend its life outside and wants an easy and smooth transition towards a house dog, then read on as we dive deep into how to house train an outside dog!
Why House Train An Outside Dog?
You may be asking yourself why even house train your outside dog in the first place? The truth is if your dog has never lived inside, then you quickly realize that your dog has no clue what your “house rules” are.
Some house rules your dog may not know are; not peeing on your carpet, learning not to chew on your furniture, and simply understanding what is and what isn’t acceptable behavior inside your house.
Learning how to house train an outside dog is critical if your dog has lived most of its life outside!
Equipment You’ll Need
The very first thing you’ll need before we begin learning how to house train an outside dog is the correct equipment to set your dog up for success!
Crate
The first piece of equipment that you’ll need to set your dog up for success is a dog crate!
The dog crate is critical for learning how to house train an outside dog because were going to use the crate to prevent your dog from having any “accidents” while they’re learning the house rules.
We use the crate to prevent your dog from peeing inside the house, destroying furniture. That way, your dog doesn’t develop any bad habits.
Remember, behaviors in dogs don’t go away with time; they only get stringer the more your dog gets to rehearse a given behavior!
The game plan is simple: use the crate to prevent your dog from rehearsing behaviors you don’t want while allowing your dog to practice the correct behavior.
A Dog Leash
The next piece of equipment you’ll need for your dog is a dog leash. A dog leash is great because it’s much easier to control your dog if they’re on a leash than off-leash.
Treats:
The next thing you’ll need is some treats! If this is the first time your dog has been inside a house, you want treats at your disposal to reward your dog for good behavior.
You want to use the treats to make it crystal clear to your dog that he did something correctly!
Chew toys
You also want to chew toys that way; your dog doesn’t decide to chew on your furniture.
Chewing is a natural behavior for dogs, and you want to set your dog up for success by having toys that he can chew on instead of waiting for your dog to chew your furniture.
It’s all about being proactive instead of reactive when learning how to house train an outside dog.
How To House Train An Outside Dog?
Now that you have the correct equipment to set your dog up for success, here’s how to house train an outside dog in a couple of easy steps!
Create a Feeding & Potty Schedule
You want to begin by getting your dog on a consistent feeding and potty schedule.
By getting your dog on a consistent feeding schedule, you’ll begin to notice that your dog’s potty schedule will be more consistent than if your dog was fed randomly throughout the day!
The most significant predictor of when your dog has to go potty will be based on his feeding schedule. Staying consistent with both a feeding and potty schedule will make potty training a breeze!
Using the Crate
You’re going to use the crate quite a bit initially when learning how to house train an outside dog.
As a rule of thumb, whenever your dog is not under your direct
supervision should be created.
We want to avoid leaving your dog alone with free roam of your house because then you’re leaving your dog to “figure it out” on their own.
If you do that, your dogs will make decisions based on what they think is right.
Instead, you want to put yourself in a position where you can help guide your dog to make the right decision, not let them on their own accord.
As your dog gets better and better at making the correct decisions, you can begin giving them some more freedom, but we are initially micromanaging our dogs.
You’ll also be using the crate for potty training. At this point, you should have on a potty schedule, making this easier.
The next step is… you guessed, crating your dog if they do not go “potty.” We do this again to prevent your dog from peeing in your house
To learn more about potty training, read our guide here****
Reward, Reward, Reward
Now that you have a schedule for your dog, the next step is to be prepared to reward your dog for any good behavior!
If this is the first time your dog is living inside a house, you want to have treats on standby to reward your dog for good behaviors!
Behaviors you should reward are when your dog goes “potty” outside or when your dog chews his bone instead of your furniture.
Redirection
Redirection is going to be critical so that you can guide your dog in making the right decisions.
Flor instance, if you notice your dog is going to chew your furniture, say “no,” then immediately give your dog an appropriate object they can chew on.
Redirection is essentially telling your dog to do this instead of that.
“Don’t chew the chair but you can chew this bone.”
Consistent Routine
The single most crucial aspect of learning how to house train an outside dog is creating a consistent routine where you can satisfy your dog’s needs!
a simple morning routine can look something like this:
7 AM – Potty
7:30 AM – fed
8 AM- walk
9 AM -crate
11 AM- Play
Conclusion
Learning how to house train an outside dog doesn’t have to be hard or stressful!
As long as you are consistent with your routine, your dog will thrive at home!
For first-hand help with house training an outside dog and to awaken your dog’s true potential contact us here or Give us a call!
Receive your free dog training consultation and set your pup up for success!
