Here are some suggestions to make this important training period a success.

1. Buy a Crate and during the first few weeks keep your puppy in it whenever you are not playing, holding or watching him explore his new surroundings. Spend as much time as you can with your pet, but when you can't watch him, crating him can prevent mistakes from happening. In addition to providing safe, secure refuge for your dog needs and wants, crates are critical to house training because as den animals, dogs are naturally inclined to not soil their bed. The most important thing house training dogs learn is that they can control their urge to eliminate until the proper time and situation.
2. Establish a schedule and don't deviate from it. The "when" and "how you house training needs to be consistent so make sure all family members follow the same guidelines. Pick a soiling spot in your yard and take your pup there on a lead when it is time to eliminate. The odor from previous visits to this spot will stimulate the urge to defecate and/or urinate. Many new owners confuse their pups by using different words for the same command. In the housebreaking process, it is a good idea to use the same word like "outside" every time you take the puppy outside to eliminate. Consistent use of a word with an activity will help build a level of communication between you any your pup. Later, while you are watching television and notice your pup staring at you, you can say the word "outside" and your pup will go to the door.
3. Be Patient. Dogs may urinate or defecate more than once in one outing and not always right away. Don't distract your pup from the job at hand. This is a business trip not a social time.
4. Praise them for their success when the job is done but don't over do it. Just patting across the shoulders a few times will do the trick. In a dog's language, that means more than constant rubbing across the head or repeating "good dog!". Some people prefer to use a consistent phrase when the pup eliminates such as "do your stuff!". The pup soon learns this is a signal to eliminate, which is very useful when traveling or when time is short.
5. Don't mix business with pleasure. When your pup has finished, take him back inside, even for a minute or two. When you come back inside, spend some time with your puppy. You know there is little chance the pup will have to eliminate for a while so play with them and have a good time. The more time you spend with your pup, the better it is. Remember, they are still young and need to act like a pup, developing and learning about their new situation and environment. When you are finished, take one more trip outside and place the pup back in it's cage or crate.
6. The key to housetraining is you. Spend as much time with your puppy as possible the first two to three weeks your puppy is home. Be consistent, patient, praise when appropriate, and be willing - for however long it takes- to invest the time and energy necessary to make this important time a success. The effort you put forth now will be well worth it for the lifetime of your pet.
7. Establishing a schedule is important. Dogs are creatures of habit; they like to eat sleep and relieve themselves on a regular schedule. Establishing and maintaining a schedule is easy to do and gets easier as your puppy grows. Pay attention to your dog's behavior so you can develop a schedule that works for both of you. First, learn when your dog naturally defecates - in the morning, at night, 30 minutes after eating, etc. Look at your schedule and determine what comprises need to be made to make this workable for everyone. If you catch your puppy in the act of having an accident, tell him "NO!" forcefully pick him up and take him outside. If you don't catch him, simply scold yourself for not being available. Do not scold the puppy. Until your puppy is 14 weeks old (for the first 6-10 weeks he is home), take him outside frequently and watch him very closely when he is in -or out of- his crate. As soon as you see him sniffing, pacing around, turning in circles or trying to sneak away (if he's out of the crate), take him outside. These are telltale signs that he needs to relieve himself. Say "Outside" each time you take your puppy out so you can develop communication and understanding between you and your pet. Martin R. Smith DVM

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Puppies should be fed twice daily at breakfast & dinner time. The amount fed the puppy will depend on the size of the puppy. A puppy weighing less than three pounds will need approximately 1/4 cup of good quality puppy food at each meal. As it grows, if you notice puppy becoming a trifle thin, add one tablespoon at a time to the feedings until you reach an amount at which the puppy no longer seems to get thin. As they age, dogs require different amounts of food at different times, so remain aware of your dog's body weight checking it every couple of weeks and adjust the amount accordingly. Uneaten food should be taken up between feedings. Fresh water should be given with every meal at noon and before taking out at bedtime. Fresh water should also be given during and after periods of exercise. Regulating when water is given will help in housebreaking your puppy.

Judge the amount of food by their body weight appearance. When looking directly down on the back of the dog, the body should narrow just below the rib cage as though the dog had a waist. Take the fingertips and place them directly on the rib bones, you should be able to clearly feel the rib bones but they should have about a 1/8" pad of tissue between your fingers and the ribs. You should not be able to see the rib bones through the skin.

 

Suggested schedule

• When you wake up: Take puppy out. Don't wait until you shower or until coffee is made.
• Feed and wate when you return.
• About 5 minutes after the pup has finished eating or you see it sniff the floor, take pup out.
• Put your puppy in it's crate when you get ready for work; place safe chew and play toys (small rawhide chew bones are a favorite and are good for the gums and teeth) in the crate for entertainment. Leaving the tv or radio playing may also make it more pleasant for your puppy, schnazers love to watch tv, especially dog shows.
• At approximately noon, offer your puppy water and then take puppy out to potty. Then return to crate.
• If this is not possible leave water in the crate preferably fastened so they cannot tip it over, or in a non tippable bowl. If a puppy can turn it over, a puppy will turn it over.
• As soon as you arrive from work., give water and take your puppy out .
• Feed and water.
• Wait a few minutes and take pup out again.
• Bedtime, give the puppy a drink of water and take it out to potty.
• Confine overnight
  
  If the puppy is given water during exercise it may need an extra trip outside, as both excersice and water will stimulate a bowl movement and or urination.
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