What is the secret to housebreaking puppies in the Winter? Though there are some precautions to take due to cold weather, there is not a great deal of difference between housebreaking your dog in the winter and any other time of the year. My wife and I have housebroken our dogs during the winter--and I'm talking about harsh Iowa winters, and we had no problems.

There really is no need for concern where the winter weather is concerned. As mentioned above, the way housebreaking works does not really change. However, it is important to pay attention to the cold climate and understand that you may need to take extra care to be sure that your puppy is not at risk.

Probably the key, cardinal rule of housebreaking in winter is to never leave your pet by itself outside. You must always be right there until it goes and is ready to be returned inside.

The second main point to keep in mind is that puppies are much more vulnerable to cold weather than adult dogs. Because of this, the timing of when you take your puppy outside is important, and so you want to observe your dog carefully and notice when it looks as if it may need to go outside. This is important as puppies are especially sensitive to frostbite and hypothermia.

Hypothermia is a condition of too little warmth (hypo=not enough or under and thermia=heat). The puppy's body temperature falls too low to keep it warm. If you see your puppy start to shiver, take it inside immediately and warm it up. A rule of thumb to follow is that if you are cold so is your puppy. Take it inside.

Frostbite is tissue damage to the skin due to cold. You will notice damaged skin turn pale or white. The most vulnerable areas will be the webbing between toes, the ears, and possibly the tail area.

Here are some pointers to help housebreak your puppy:

(1)Begin housebreaking your puppy at around 8 weeks. (2)carry out housebreaking according to a schedule. (3)Let your puppy go outside if you notice it seems to want to go outside. (4)Expect to take your puppy outside every two hours. (5)Take it outside shortly after feeding. (6)Never leave your puppy outside alone. (7)Spend no more time than necessary outdoors when the weather is bitter cold.

If you do nothing else but follow the pointers above, you and your puppy will survive a cold winter without problem. Even better, once the weather improves, your dog will continue to use its new skills as a housebroken pet.

Learn more puppy training techniques now! Housebreaking your puppy safely and humanely has never been easier. Find out here!

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