The key to successful house training is consistency and patience. You will need to frequently take your Schnauzer pup outside to the area where you would prefer them to toilet, ideally every 2 hours for young pups. A good rule of thumb is to take your pup out to this spot whenever they wake up from a nap, after eating or drinking, after play sessions or if they are showing signs that they need to go such as sniffing around the ground in circles. When you take your pup out to toilet, avoid the temptation to play with them, simply give a command like ‘go wee’ and wait patiently for a few minutes.
Reward your puppy with plenty of praise every time they do the right thing. (Schnauzers are usually very food motivated so treats are great as a reward.) Remember that you’ll need to get up during the night too in the early months to avoid any accidents in the house. When your pup does make the inevitable mistake and toilet in the house, don’t scold them or rub their nose in it as this will only breed anxiety and fear. Simply clean up the mess without delay, using an enzymatic cleaner to remove the scent which can attract your puppy back to that spot again next time.
(content acknowledgement to Pet Circle)
For those who have bought a pup from us:
Your Schnauzer pup has been taught to toilet outside with us and is making good progress. Every pup is different in terms of how they manage the transition to their new home and of course every home environment is different, some being easier for pups to manage the toileting procedure in than others.
Be patient. It’s not unusual to have accidents through until around 6 months of age. On the other hand some pups learn remarkably quickly. Be consistent, hang in there, they’ll work it out in time. It’s best to prevent them having access to areas it’d be disastrous for them to soil in until they’re reliably house trained. This avoids you getting too upset which, in turn, would be distressing for the pup and may set up a negative association with toileting which will take more work to undo.
Think about where you want your pup to sleep. I have previously had success in crating pups overnight from 8 weeks in my bedroom and getting up as soon as they whimper to take them outside. This works well, especially remembering to not fall for the temptation to play or snuggle. Just take them out, give whatever toileting command you’re intending to use and let them get on with the business at hand! Then straight back to bed 🙂