Doggy Mentor

No one wants their dog to soil their carpet. Yet some dogs are purchased as indoor pets and being outside all the time where they can go when they need to isn’t an option. The answer, of course, is to train the dog to do his business in the proper place, either outdoors or in a designated area. If you follow these housebreaking dog tips, you should be able to train your dog in no time at all.

The speed at which your dog learns this important pattern will depend on several things. First it will depend on the intelligence of the dog. Check online for a list of the smartest and most easily trained dogs. If your dog isn’t on it, he can probably still be trained. It will just take a little longer. Second, it will depend on the maturity of the dog. An older dog may have better bladder control, but a really old dog is hard to teach new tricks. Third, it will depend on your consistency with the training. You have to keep at it consistently until your dog won’t want to go in the wrong place. This article centers on a consistent method.

If your dog could understand you, you could sit down and reason with him. “When nature calls, wag your tail or do something do I get the message, OK? I don’t want you to do it in the house.” Since your dog doesn’t know what all that means, you must get that message through to him via gestures, words, voice tone, praise, and rewards.

The first thing to know is that dogs usually need to go within twenty minutes of eating. Therefore, hold off feeding him until you have the time to take him for a walk right after mealtime. If the great outdoors is the restroom, then you will want to go with him for the first while to reinforce how pleased you are that he went outside and not inside.

As we said earlier, consistency is the key to success with housebreaking a dog. You must consistently praise the behavior you want, and discourage the behavior you don’t like. Since the dog must learn your language, be patient and instruct if he messes up. Once you are sure the dog knows what you want, then a mess may warrant a swat with a newspaper. 

Let’s say you got a new puppy that is eight weeks old. Day one is the time to start training him. Be patient because he not only must learn your commands but also how to control his bladder (Be sure to take a pooper scooper with you, just in case.) Talk to the dog. Say, “OK, time to do your business.” When he does, exaggerate how wonderful this is, just as you would a child’s first steps. Take along a favorite treat that he gets only when he does what you want. Follow this pattern after every meal and before bed for at least a month or two.

Of course, while the dog is learning, you won’t want to sacrifice your good carpet. You may want to restrict the dog to a floor that is easy to clean. Freedom to enter the rest of the house comes at graduation. If the dog gives any kind of signal he wants to go out, jump to it and, if he does, again praise and reward him. Just make sure he has plenty of opportunity to go so that holding it pays off.

When the dog does what you want, don’t punish him by taking him into the house right away. This might convey the wrong message. Instead, reward him as always and let him romp around and explore for a few minutes as a reward.

The most important thing is to build a relationship with the dog. Most dogs will want to please their master and some dogs live for praise and encouragement. As you spent time with him, he will only be encouraged all the more to please you and this will increase his rate of learning new skills.

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