House
training a puppy is important for the well being of your puppy and for
your own sanity. The lack of house training is the number one reason
that dogs wind up neglected, abandoned, or in animal shelters, but it's
the failure of the owner - not the puppy. It's very
important for you to house break your puppy properly. Proper toilet
habits need to be established when your puppy is young, since these
habits will last a lifetime, and are very hard to break once they're
established. In most cases, true house training can't begin until your
puppy is six months old because puppies younger than that probably lack
the bowel and bladder control needed for true house training.
Before they
reach that age, puppies should be confined to a small, puppy proofed
room during those times when you can't supervise them. Puppy proofing a
room is very similar to baby proofing a room. Just as you would put
breakables and possible choking hazards out of reach of a baby, you need
to eliminate the potential for your puppy to make a mistake and reduce
any potential hazards from the room. That includes removing anything
that your puppy might chew on.
The entire
floor of the room should be covered with newspaper or some other
absorbent material, and the paper should be changed every time it is
soiled. Over time, you will notice that your puppy has a preferred spot
for using the toilet. Gradually begin reducing the amount of paper you
put down - narrowing in on that preferred area.
This preferred
toilet area will form the basis of later house training and once your
puppy is old enough you'll begin to train him to exercise bladder and
bowel control. You will establish a new toilet area (outside) and begin
to train him to control himself until taken outside to the toilet area.
The
Do's of House Training Your Puppy
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When
you're not at home or can't supervise your puppy, you must be
sure the puppy can't make a mistake. Confine your puppy to a
small area that has been thoroughly puppy proofed. Make sure
your puppy has unrestricted access to the established toilet
area. |
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When
you're home, physically take the puppy to the toilet area every
45 minutes. Extend the time between potty trips gradually, as
your puppy exhibits an ability to control his urges. |
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Always
provide a toilet area that doesn't resemble normal floor
coverings in your home. Training your puppy to go on concrete,
blacktop, grass or dirt is a good idea. |
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Reward
your puppy every time he eliminates in the established toilet
area. You want him to associate relieving himself in the
established areas with good things, like treats, toys and
praise. A little play time makes a good reward, and will
reinforce the early bonding between you and your puppy. |
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Keep
a set schedule when feeding your puppy, so that your puppy's
need to relieve himself becomes consistent. Provide constant
access to fresh, clean drinking water. |
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Keeping
your puppy in a crate can help your puppy develop self control.
Dogs don't like to soil their immediate living area, and will
naturally try to control their need to go. |
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It's
important to be patient when house training your puppy. The
process of house training could take several months, but it's
much easier to house train right the first time than to retrain
a problem dog. |
The
Don'ts of House Training Your Puppy
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Don't
give your puppy the run of the house until he has been
thoroughly house trained. But... don't totally isolate your
puppy while house training, either. Your puppy needs attention
and interaction from you. |
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Never
reprimand or punish your puppy for mistakes. That only leads to
fear and confusion in your puppy and will make the process take
longer. |
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Don't
leave food out all night as your puppy won't keep to a set
feeding schedule on its own, and will eat throughout the night.
Random feeding leads to random toilet habits. |
House training
isn't always the easiest thing to do, and some dogs are much harder to
house train than others. It's important to be patient, consistent and
loving as you train your dog. A rushed, frightened or intimidated dog
will be confused and won't be able to learn the his house training
lessons. Once you've gained your puppy's love and respect, you'll find
that house training your puppy is actually easier than you expected.
Article by Brandon Layne.
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