Doggy Mentor

Posts Tagged ‘Dog Housetraining’

The key to house training your puppy to make the transition from going to the bathroom on paper indoors to holding it and waiting until it can go outside is a bit of common sense and outdoor manners. Going from the papers to the outside means you need to carry your puppy to the right area. Small puppies are easy to carry outside, but you may need a carrier of sorts for bigger dogs if you are not strong enough. Once you have taken the dog outside without any accidents occuring and you are face to face with city block after block, where do you begin to go?

It should go without saying, that all areas frequented by people, including flower beds, children’s play area, city trees and other landscaping are all off limits. Letting a male dog lift his leg on somebody’s garbage can or other things that might be touched by humans is not very nice. Make sure you are properly prepared to invest a lot of time outdoors with your puppy potty training. A fearful puppy won’t be relaxed enough to want to potty and the puppy can be so distracted by all the stimuli that it won’t want to go outside.

Will your puppy ever learn to go on concrete amid the commotion of people and cars? With training, yes. One method for outdoor potty training sessions is called ‘curbing’ which is where your dog eliminates over the curb into the gutter. Position your puppy’s rear end over the curb and let it eliminate. Give gentle and somewhat quiet praise to your puppy while he is going then praise with exuberance afterwards. It is important to understand that overly praising the puppy while he is going can be distracting and cause him to wiggle around, which is never pleasant while in the act.

If your dog makes an error, just pick up the mess and don’t be perturbed about it, just smile and nod. Don’t drag the pup over in mid-poop and scold it for going in the wrong place, instead get it to the right place next time. Make it a habit and praise your dog and very soon your pup will catch on with his dog potty training. Life will be easier if you teach your pup to potty on cue. Once it’s about to start urinating or defecating, calmly say the cue words and praise your pup and after it’s done, praise it once again.

A Few Other Potty Training Choices

Those who live in cities and other restricted spaces may have other potty areas they hadn’t even considered, such as a walled or fenced rooftop area might actually be quicker to access than the street. Be sure the area is secured with a strong fence that pups can’t wriggle through. If there is a wall, you may want to keep the dog leashed to prevent the puppy from exploring the other side. A terrace is one other option that works well for larger dogs. Also, there are buildings that have storage or basement areas that can also be used as a potty place, just ensure it is a surface like concrete or tile that can be easily washed off.

A few people have installed graveled pits or grass strips, fake and real, on their patios for dogs to use, however, these tend to get dirty quickly. You must be extra vigilant about cleaning up and replacing the grass when needed to keep those pristine enough for your dog to want to use them. The last point is to remember your neighbors as the smell can become pretty intolerant especially through the hot summer, so cleanliness is key. Dog house training, inside or out needs a little bit of time and patience, but it is well worth the effort.

When initiating puppy housetraining, always keep in mind that until a puppy is 7 months old, its control over excretory functions is extremely limited. Your puppy will have to relieve itself at least once an hour or possibly more. This urge is more necessary after sleeping, eating and playing. When training your puppy, the use of a relatively small area lined with papers, will save a lot of reprimands. A puppy likes to keep its own bed clean and as a result will soil as far away as possible.

Take this cue and after it naps, eats or plays, place your pup on its papers, or outside in the yard. After your pup has successfully soiled where you have placed it, lavish it with sincere praise. Unconvincing praise doesn’t fool anyone, not even an eight week old puppy. Apartment dwellers who are away at work all day, are generally more successful at paper-training a puppy until it is old enough to have considerable control. It doesn’t matter where you live though, the same rules apply to your dogs potty training.

Supervising your puppy at all times is required if you let it have the freedom of the whole house. Should it lower its head, sniff and begin to circle, be quick! Get it onto its papers or into the yard immediately. When it relieves itself, praise is in order. Should you miss your pup’s signals and it soils inside, do not spank or rub its nose in it because it was your fault. A pup has a memory of a couple of seconds and if it soiled ten minutes before, it cannot relate your anger to its action that long ago and will not be able to understand why you are angry.

The action of rubbing a dog’s nose in its soil may create a problem of it eating stools and reinfesting itself with parasites. You can show the pup where it has soiled and scold a little and then take it to its papers. Remember, the accident was your fault for not supervising it properly, or not being aware of its warning signals. Be sure that the soiled area is carefully cleaned, deodorized and disinfected as any remaining scent will prompt your pup to return to that very spot when the urge next hits it. If you do give your pup freedom of the whole house while it is learning potty habits, your time will be taken up following your pup to avoid accidents and could develop into housetraining problems.

Paper training an older dog is generally not required. Take an older dog outside after meals, naps first thing in the morning and last thing at night. While confinement to a very small area is probably unnecessary, supervision and praise must never be forgotten. They are the simple rules to puppy housetraining as your dog only wants to please you, its leader, and you show how pleased you are with praise, love and affection.

Many dog owners find puppy housetraining their hardest challenge. Left unsupervised, a puppy can spend months in a home, without learning what housetraining is all about. If over-supervised and harassed, it may become neurotic and overanxious.

House training a puppy involves making the necessary commitment to the tried and true methods established by professional dog trainers. In the long run, a few weeks of effort will result in a housetrained pup and later, a well behaved dog.

Housetraining Confinement Rule

There are several important factors to consider in puppy housetraining.  You need to have a small area with an easy to clean floor and keep your pup in this area, a playpen is ideal. You are not being cruel keeping your pup in a confined area, as it is happier when it can slowly adjust to the whole house. Your pup will not be overwhelmed by the size or complexity of your entire home. Confinement keeps little paws and playful teeth out of range of dangerous places, while ensuring that your dog is close to its papers, or the door to the yard.  This means it is more likely to behave correctly, than to have an accident, which results in lots of praise and affection from you.

Praise When Puppy Housetraining

The second and very important factor in housetraining is praise. Your puppy loves you unconditionally from the time you bring it into your home and to please you is its aim in life. A mere scowl out of anger can start it sulking in sadness, while a pat or a few kind words, will set its tail wagging. Young puppies respond much more quickly and effectively to praise and encouragement than they do physical correction.  There is no place for physical punishment for any puppy, it is totally unnecessary and inhumane.

The Consistency Housetraining Rule

Housetraining relies on consistency and that means being strict with yourself. The words you use must be the same for every command and in the same tone, feeding, taking your pup outside regularly, reprimands and bedtime, all must be consistent. It is of supreme importance. As with children, a puppy must learn that your word is law and obedience comes from them understanding that what you say, you mean. If you ignore some mistakes, forget to praise, overlook a mealtime, forget where your puppy is and if it needs to use its paper or go outside, you will never housetrain your pup.

These are just a few factors to help you in housetraining your puppy. The ultimate house training guide provides many answers and listening to any expert dog trainer will point you in the right direction when housetraining your puppy. Following a few basic guidelines will help you when you start housetraining your new puppy.

Your dog or puppy can be properly potty trained not to use the bathroom in your small apartment. They can be housetrained to go in a specific area laid with papers . Training can include teaching your dog not to eliminate on the sidewalk when you are out walking.

It takes a bit of extra work and patience with your pup or dog to conquer the unique problems of city dwelling. It does not matter where you live, or how much space you have for your dog, potty training is the same anywhere, whether you live in the city or the country. Eliminating in the correct spot, is all about the education of your pup or dog. Dog potty training can be a simple procedure if you follow a few simple steps.

For both urban and suburban dogs, using a crate to housetrain your pet is the best option. City folks and others faced with restricted living spaces and lack of yards and parks, often have to be creative.

One common problem, especially with medium and large-sized breeds, is where to put the crate. The good news is that the bathrooms or kitchens in apartments, are often so small that they can effectively be used as crates. Crates are now being made as dual purpose furniture, particularly for the apartment dweller and they double as coffee tables and are made from rattan or wicker.

Dog Pottying On The Paper

A paper training schedule is the same as a regular crate training schedule. The pup sleeps or eats, then goes to the paper area to potty. When your pup uses the paper and you have praise it, spend time playing and loving your pup as a reward. To make sure your pup knows it has done the right thing, praise quietly while your pup is in the act and lavish praise after its finished. A 7 day dog potty training routine can be accomplished.

After your pup has learnt that the paper is the place to potty, you can leave the paper anywhere in your apartment that is suitable and your pup will find the paper to use. Your pup will not eliminate anywhere when let out of its crate, it will look for its paper.

Say to your pup, ‘Papers’ in a happy voice, then go to the papers together. Then respond with praise and give plenty of affection. No matter where the papers are your pup will run to find them. You have made finding the papers fun and exciting for your pup and you it will not make a mess in your apartment and you will be stress-free and have a happy pup. A  dog potty training review of all your techniques will ensure you have confidence in your dog or pup from now on and not have any little surprises.