How to House Train a Schweitzer Puppy
- 1). Keep your puppy with you as much as you can and watch him closely. He will signal when he must urinate by sniffing the floor, walking funny with his rear in the air, or circling. When you see these signs, take him outside to the area you have chosen to be the urinating area. This should not be a problem, because Schweitzer puppies are herding dogs and naturally love to be outside.
- 2). Reward your puppy. Once she has successfully relieved herself in the designated area, lavishly praise her. Schweitzer puppies love their human family above all else, so your puppy will really value praise and petting. In addition, give her a treat and reward her with some play time.
- 3). Punish your puppy if you catch her having an accident, but not by hitting her or rubbing her nose in the mess. Instead, clap your hands loudly, say "No!" in a firm voice, then take her outside. Clean up the mess later with a cleanser that will remove the smell. Do not hit or rub the puppy's nose in the mess. If you find an accident after the fact, simply clean it up. Your Schweitzer puppy will not remember doing having the accident, so it's no use punishing him.
- 4). Stick to a schedule and be around your puppy as much as you can. Schweitzer puppies love to feel like a member of the family. Feed the puppy at the same time every day, and take him outside immediately after he eats. For an 8-week old Schweitzer, this means every four to six hours around the clock. Stay outside until he relieves himself. In addition, take the puppy outside every time he wakes up from a nap. Try to use the same door when you go outside. As your puppy gets older, he will learn to go sit by this door when he needs to go outside.
- 5). Keep the puppy confined to areas of the house that are easy to clean in the event of an accident. As the Schweitzer puppy gets better at managing her bowels, gradually let her venture into other areas of the house.
- 6). Crate your puppy (put him in a crate) when you can't keep an eye on him. Crates make a dog feel safe and comfortable. Put a favorite blanket in there for him to rest on, and have him sleep in the crate at night. Try to make sure he relieves himself before he goes in the crate. See the resources section for crate training a puppy.
