Collie House Training

If you have always put off getting a puppy because you dreaded house training then you were very smart to get a Collie puppy. These dogs are naturally very clean and one of the easiest breeds to housetrain.

Collie house training does require a consistent and precise routine, at least for the first two to four weeks until the behavior is mastered. The great news is that you can focus in on positive behavior to help your dog understand what you want, making it a good experience for you both.

Collie House Training Made Easy

The key to Collie house training is to have the puppy or dog understand where you want them to go to the bathroom. This is not done by punishing the puppy or dog for going in the wrong spot, it is done by rewarding them for using the right place.

For very young puppies you may want to start with paper or puppy training pads, but for most puppies over eight or so weeks of age Collie house training can be done outside. If the puppies do have to remain in the house by themselves for more than a couple of hours per day, paper or pad training will be a good option.

Best House Training Method

Crate training can be very effective with Collie house training. Crate training allows the owner to time the trips outside while keeping the puppy in an area that the puppy sees as his or her own space.

Since the Collie will do his or her best to not soil their own den area, the crate serves as a natural way to keep the puppy from messing. Place the puppy in the crate in the same room as you are in within a few minutes of the puppy eating. In 10 or so minutes take the puppy out to the yard or the area where he or she is to use as a bathroom.

Stand by, don’t play with the puppy or talk to them, just be ready with a reward and a lot of praise when they do go. If, after a few minutes, the puppy isn’t acting as if they have to go, simply pick them up and return them to the crate.

In another 5 to 10 minutes repeat the process. Once the puppy does go to the bathroom outside, immediately give praise and spend at least five or so minutes interacting with the puppy.

When they come back in the house they don’t have to go into the crate unless they want to just have a nap or spend time in their den area.

Helpful Tips for Collie Owners

If you aren’t using a crate for Collie house training you can always simply keep an eye on the puppy as he or she is with you in the home. Avoid having the puppy in areas where there is furniture or large plants that the puppy can duck behind to urinate or defecate.

If an accident does occur do not punish the puppy, rather clean it up and be sure to use a cleaner that removes the scent as well. Keeping a timer set for 10 minutes after eating is a good technique to help you remember when to start the trips outside.

While you may initially carry the puppy to the door, he or she also needs to learn to walk over to the door to signal they need to go out. This can be incorporated into Collie house training once they know to head for the great outdoors when they need to go.

Generally most puppies will need to go outside within 10 to 20 minutes after eating, when waking up from sleep as well as about 20 minutes after heavy exercising and drinking large amounts of water.

You can keep a journal or a log to quickly identify your puppy’s bathroom routines, this can really help in streamlining your Collie house training time.