House training Your Miniature Schnauzer
Crate Training Your Miniature Schnauzer Puppy:
I find crate training to be the easiest and quickest way to housebreak your new puppy.
Please invest time for just a few weeks in potty training your new Miniature Schnauzer. Miniature Schnauzers are extremely intelligent. Some of my puppies have been trained within hours and others within a few short weeks. The time you invest to house training your new Schnauzer will pay off for the rest of your time spent with your new friend.
Buy the smallest crate for your new Schnauzer. Then for the first few weeks keep your puppy in the crate when you are not holding, playing, watching or being with him. Make sure the crate is the smallest. It should be large enough for the puppy’s bed, but no larger.
Dogs do not want to soil their bed so they will resist the urge to eliminate. Pacing, sniffing around, and turning in circles, are signs that you should take your Schnauzer outside immediately.
Be patient and wait until your puppy goes. This could take up to 30 minutes before your puppy goes. I like to reward the behavior with a doggie training treat and praise, I find this speeds up the success of housetraining your Schnauzer.
Make sure you take your Schnauzer puppy out after every meal and play time. Then after he does his business you can then return him to his crate. Be consistent, establish a schedule and pay attention to your puppy’s behavior.
In the beginning I recommend that you take your puppy out of the crate every 1-2 hours. Your puppy cannot be expected to stay alone in his crate for long hours without going to eliminate. In the beginning when you are at work I recommend that you but your puppy in a small area like 6 foot exercise pen with wee wee pads at one end..
Use the same spot in the yard and the same word I use “pee pee” and then reward the behavior with praise and training treats. The odor from the previous visits will cause the puppy to want to go in that spot.
The house training session will continue for about 6 months and then the positive potty training pattern will be firmly established.
Paper Training:
Make sure that the eating area, the sleeping area and the potty area are separated and defined.
Place layered newspaper, butcher paper or wee wee pads in the corner away from the water and eating dishes. After eating take the puppy to the potty area. Each time the puppy eliminates, change the top layer paper and leave the bottom layer. Puppies like to go where they can smell urine and feces and they will start to prefer the paper over other areas. Praise your Schnauzer for doing it right, give them doggy training treats and give them verbal and tactile praise.
Note:
Be consistent with the puppy’s daily routine. Never leave an untrained puppy unattended in the house, they should not have full run of the house until about 6 months old when they have earned the right and have proven themselves successful. Always praise your dog for good behavior, with verbal and tactile praise as well as doggy training treats. Praise, encouragement and treat rewards are a more successful method of training and teaching your Schnauzer what you expect of him than any form of physical punishment.
