How can you work on housetraining a puppy if the weather does not allow you to go outside?

desta: How can you work on housetraining a puppy if the weather does not allow you to go outside?
I am in the process of housetraining a four-month-old puppy. Due to heavy rain and mud, we are unable to go into the yard consistently. I do not want to train to a newspaper or puppy pads. Will the puppy understand if I occasionally allow him to potty in the garage?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Jo
If your garage is concrete, then it will absorb some of the urine and the smell so I wouldn’t recommend that. Pads would be better, in a tiled area if possible. Best would be getting on your rain gear and mud boots and carrying the dog to an area that is grassy to get the dog to take a break. Or just walk your dog out to where you want him to go. Rain won’t hurt the dog. Mud can be messy and you may have to rinse off his paws or legs on muddy days but this is better than creating a bad habit.

Answer by Mickie K
Puppy has to learn to go in the rain. Letting him potty in the garage will be confusing.

Answer by dove2002
Animals are creatures of habit if you continue letting him go in the garage he will want to all the time.

Answer by ♪♫♪PompomPup♪♫♪
puppy pads

Answer by hanksimon
Use newspaper. I know you don’t want to, but it is easier. I’m in Texas where it has been raining for weeks… and my dog doesn’t want to go outside.

You can teach the pup on newspaper, then use the newspaper to transfer him to a specific spot outside, when the weather gets a little better.

Don’t use ammonia to clean up any messes, because it smells like urine to the dog. Use vinegar or the special pet stain cleaners, instead.

1. Watch him very carefully when you are home and take him outside after he drinks, eats, or sniffs around. Keep him outside for 5 minutes, then come back in…. but keep careful watch. Always take him to the exact same spot outside for his toilet, and clean up solid waste every few days.

2. When you can’t watch him put him in a crate.You want to try to let him out about every four hours, but he may be old enough that he can handle 8 hours, if you are diligent in walking him before and after meals, and before and after leaving for work/school.

3. If you don’t use a crate, then confine him in a room, like the bathroom or kitchen that you can cover with newspaper.

4. Put food, water, toys, and bedding in one corner. When you come back after a few hours, take him outside for a walk. Then clean up soiled newspaper, clean the floor underneath with vinegar, and save a small piece for the smell. Place some clean newspaper in another corner of the room, away from her food, and place the smelly piece of newspaper in the corner. Keep newspaper on the rest of the floor.

5. The next day he should have tried to go to the bathroom close to the smelly corner. Repeat the process from above, clean the floor, use new paper, place a new smelly piece of paper in the corner opposite her food.

You are trying to teach him where her toilet is by placing a large blinking sign that says bathroom. Since your dog can’t read, you are using a small piece of paper for the same purpose. Your dog has a good sense of smell, so the smelly paper doesn’t have to be very large or disgusting. Just a few inches.

6. Keep doing this for a few days, until your dog goes to the bathroom consistently in the same 5′ x 5′ area. If you are patient and loving, then he may learn to go in an area less than 2′ x 2′ in less than 4 days, but don’t push it.

7. If things are on track after 5 or 6 days, then remove all of the paper, except a 5′ x 5′ area in the corner, with a small smelly piece of paper.

8. Advanced: If he is a small dog, then you might slowly reduce the area to about 1′ x 1′, then you can train him to use a kitty litter box inside… but that may be pushing things.

9. When he is consistent, then remove all the paper, and move the smelly piece of paper to the outside to show him where his bathroom is. he may have a few accidents, so try to understand what happened and why he had the accident.
But this method should work for most puppies and dogs.

10. Things to remember:
A. You can remove the paper when you are home and watching him. You only need the paper during the training period of about two weeks, and only when no one is home to watch her, while he is confined in the kitchen/bathroom.
B. Always clean up the floor under any mess or mistake with lots of vinegar to remove the smell.
C. Remember that the smell to a dog is like a large, red, blinking sign to people.
D. Always get rid of soiled newspaper, except for a tiny piece with smell. Replace the soiled newspaper with clean newspaper for the first few days.

Also, walk him, pet him, and talk to him softly… so that he will learn that he has a loving home.

Answer by *~*~tubane~*~*
if u allow him to potty in the garage then he’ll think it’s ok every time he needs to go. u’ll just be confusing him.

Answer by sniffydogs
Take him outside to somewhere. Even a sidewalk is fine. Dogs generally like the rain. The garage isn’t a good idea. It’s not that much of a jump for the dog to connect it to the house. I’ve had kennel trained on cement dogs that have come into rescue. Royal PITA

Answer by dzstones
You just have to suck it up. The dog isn’t as picky as people on weather. If you are squeamish due to bad weather your dog will pick up on it and you could get a dog that refuse to go if its not sunny and warm outside.

Try putting up a open tarp, then you can both stay somewhat dry, just remember to wipe of the mud.

Answer by beth k
I think the puppy will get very confused. When teaching you have to be 100 per cent consistent.

Answer by Rhea B
Go outside and train your pup,that rain or shine potty-time is outside.One of my dogs was housebroken in 3 days because of cold weather.She picked up immediately that if she wanted to get back in the house,all she had to do was go potty. You are the one ,that minds the rain. Not the puppy,so much. So tough it up! get out there and get wet or use a hat or umbrella.Don’t wreck your pup’s training cause you don’t want to go into the rain.

Answer by jennuine8
Don’t want to confuse the little guy. I’m afraid u will have to tough it out in the rain. When i did it i would carry my dog to where it wasn’t muddy and when she was finished i carried her back. Once in i would wipe her little paws off with damp paper towels. I know it seems like a lot but it’s better than cleaning a mess in the house. 🙂 Hope this helps!!

Answer by rkhd1999
ya he will when he gets older

Answer by TJ
Try puppy pads or if your puppy is a toy breed teach him to use a litter box.

Answer by Melissa g
u need a horse arabian horse lol