How to house break your puppy

by Tammy
(Texas)

I have a 7 wk old puppy. How do I go about house training her?

Also I caught her eating her own poop, is that normal?


Hi Tammy
I'll answer your questions in reverse order, as the answer to the last one is the shortest and easiest!

Yes, it's normal for your puppy to eat poop, her own poop or that belonging to another dog/cat. When puppies are tiny, the momma dog keeps the 'nest' or 'den' clean by eating her puppy's poop. As the puppies grow they copy her. Quite often a puppy 'forgets' this behavior once it leaves it's canine family, but many remember and continue to do it.

Apart from being 'yukky', this habit has some health issues associated with it, as she could get sick if she eats the poop of a sick dog. I'd recommend that you check out my page entitled Why Does My Dog Eat Poop? it gives you tips and information on dealing with this behavior.

As for the house breaking - the simplest and quickest method is to use a crate. This works with the dogs natural instinct to keep his den clean, and helps him to learn bladder/bowel control.

One of the most important things is to choose the right size of crate, if it's too big this method won't work properly. You can read my Crate Training A Puppy to find all the advice and help you need to house break your puppy this way.

There's also a page on Potty Training A Puppy which has other valuable information. I think you'll find them helpful.

Best of luck with your new puppy!