|
The Happy Puppy Owner's Guide To Housetraining Your
Puppy
by David Riewe
Dogs are probably the only animals in the world who love unconditionally,
with their whole heart and body and soul. There are many stories of dogs saving the lives of their humans, of warning people
of danger or of seeming to know when an owner is sick or in pain.
If you've decided to get a puppy, or you've recently
brought one home, congratulations! You will have a loyal friend and companion who will enjoy your company, never be too tired
to go for a walk with you, and who will always be on your side, no matter what!
One note of caution though. A dog
is only as well-trained as he has been taught to be by his owner. It is important that your puppy understands as quickly as
possible what is considered acceptable behavior and what is not in your home.
You need to decide early if you will
allow your puppy to get on your furniture, where he can sleep, and what he can chew on.
So housetraining your dog
now, while your dog is still a puppy is the best way to assure that she/he is a welcome and happy member of your household.
The crate method is one of the fastest and most humane methods of housetraining your puppy.
But, first, here
are some do's and don'ts for housetraining your puppy:
DO'S:
Do be assessable to your
puppy. If you're going to be gone for long periods of time during the training period, then do not give the puppy full access
to your house. Put him in an area where you've prepared for accidents.
Do limit the amount of food and water your
puppy has throughout the day. (If it's hot outside, make sure your puppy has enough water to drink, but remember that what
goes in, will come out!
Do praise your puppy every time he/she does what you expect him/her to do. Your puppy wants
to please you, and he/she needs to learn what behaviors create praise from you.
Do be consistent. You will only confuse
your puppy otherwise.
Do be realistic. Your puppy may not be capable of being completely housetrained until he is
at least six months old.
DONT'S:
Don't reprimand your puppy when he has an accident.
It's going to happen, and if it does, it means that you didn't get him outside in time. Just clean it up and move on.
Don't
use the crate as a means of locking your puppy up for long periods of time, or as a punishment.
Don't let your puppy
go to the bathroom anywhere except his/her designated area while you are training him/her.
Why the crate method works:
Dogs are naturally fastidious animals and they don't like to eliminate where they sleep or eat. Therefore, if your puppy sleeps
in the crate, she/he will not use the crate as a bathroom.
First things first:
Puppies
need to urinate shortly after they eat, drink, play, chew, run or walk. Depending on the breed, size, temperament and age
of your puppy, this can be within 15 to 30 minutes.
1. Keep a record of the times your puppy needs to go for a couple
of days. This will help you to learn his natural schedule, and make the training process easier.
2. Plan your "walking"
schedule around your puppy's needs. From the time your puppy is about 10 or 11 weeks to six months old, he/she should be walked
between 5 and 10 times a day. Once your puppy is between six months and 11 months old, this will drop to around 4 to 6 times
a day. And when he/she is an adult, walking your dog three to four times a day will be sufficient.
3. Especially after
your puppy has spent the night in his/her crate, do not return from your morning walk until he/she has eliminated. (If for
some reason you do have to return, put your puppy in his/her crate, and then take him/her out every fifteen minutes or so,
until he/she goes.) Make sure you give your puppy lots of praise and affection, once he/she has done what you wanted.
What
the crate means for your puppy:
A crate is your puppy's home away from home, his/her sanctuary in times of stress
and his "bedroom" at night.
Make sure that your puppy associates his/her crate with positive feelings. Put his/her
favorite blanket, chew toys and treats inside the crate. When helping your puppy get used to the crate, leave the door open
until your puppy shows no sign of fear of the crate.
The more comfortable your puppy is inside the crate, the less
likely he/she will be of soiling it.
Never let your puppy out of the crate for bad behavior such as barking, whining
or scratching.
How To Get Started:
1. Establish a regular schedule of feeding and going
outdoors.
2. Put the puppy in the crate at night, but make sure you take him/her out first thing in the morning and don't go
back in the house until the puppy has finished.
3. After the puppy has gone, bring him/her in, and let him play for an hour or so. (Remember not to give your puppy complete
run of the house until he is completely housetrained.)
4. Feed the puppy.
5. Using the chart you created, take the puppy outside within 15 minutes of the time you know he/she is going to need
to go. Don't come back in until the puppy has gone.
6. Bring the puppy in and let him/her play.
7. Put the puppy in his/her crate for a nap.
Repeat this schedule throughout the day.
Yes, this is
a lot of work. But the method is effective, it works quickly, and your puppy will soon become housebroken, and as he/she gets
older, your puppy will let you know when he/she needs to go. In the meantime, you'll be able to have complete confidence in
your puppy!
|
|
Teach Spot To Tell You When It's Time to Go Out!
Ok
tricks to teaching a dog to let you know they want to go out.
1) Find something the dog really likes and wants
2) Crack the door and place the object outside the door, so the dog can see it and
paw at the door to get to it.
3) Praise the dog for pawing the door Now this is where this action needs a name. Decide
what your going to call it most just say "Out or outside" do not make it a sentence, keep it simple.
4) after the dog does this a few times, take the object and place it outside the door with
the dog watching, but this time close the door. the moment the dog paws the door praise them. Open the door, repeat. then
each time before you open the door to take the dog out , give the command and wait 3-5 seconds repeat the command, if the
dog doesn't get it they will, this takes about 5 days to teach, but about 2 weeks for them to get it down pat. Then they know
by signaling at the door you will open it... wella Now this is just one way to teach "out" there are other ways but I did
find this to be the fastest, another way is teaching the "TOUCH" command.. and that we will leave for another day. Next we
can move on to a dog ringing a bell to tell you they want to go out.
Doggie Door
Ok we implement
the doggie door system. This is a great carefree way to let your dog out if you want to put in the beginning effort! You need
to have a fenced in yard for this. If you do not, build a fence around whatever area you want to place the doggie door. Our
is out our dining room sliding door. When building your fence dig a trench and lay chicken wire attached to the fence to go
under. This helps keep your puppy in the fence as they love to try and dig out! If
you already have fencing, I would suggest adding the chicken wire!
This system allows your dog to go in and out at their leisure making it easy for you and
no worries when your not home! All my puppies are trained using puppy pads , potty park & the doggie door. If not using the doggie door system, remember your puppy has come into a new home with new potty
situations so there will be some new learning to be done. If you have to take your dog out do not "free feed" (leaving food
available at all times). Stick to 3-4 times a day feeding schedule. Start by training in one or 2 rooms max. The bigger the
area he is allowed to roam the more difficult it will be. Start by placing several puppy pads all over. Gradually reduce the
number of pads you are using and move them closer to the door until you are down to 1 puppy pad. By this time they should
be fairly trained to outside. Also only use treats at this time when they have gone outside. Use high praise & treats.
Once he/she has mastered potty training then you can use treats for other things.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
