PUPPY DOG POTTY TRAINING TIPS
Dog or puppy potty training, housebreaking, house training, etc. can be summed up in two sentences, one short sentence and one long one. The first -- your dog or puppy needs to have mental control to know where to go and muscle control to hold it until he gets there. The older he is, the more likely he will have both -- in other words, a six-week-old puppy won't have as much control as a six-month-old dog.
The second sentence has five parts -- Take your dog or puppy where you want him to go when he has to go, reward him when he goes in the right place, and watch him like a hawk or confine him at all other times. Let's dissect that sentence.
Take him -- if you don't take your dog or puppy, how does he know where he's supposed to go? How do *you* know if he has gone there? When you're potty training a puppy or a dog, you can't assume anything!!!
Where you want him to go -- *you* decide what that place is. Is it outside on the grass? on the sidewalk? on your deck? on newspapers? on potty pads? in a potty box? Sometimes where you want him to potty and where he actually does potty are two different locations. The more consistent you are, the more consistent he will be.
Reward him when he goes in the right place -- if you aren't there, then how do you know if your dog or puppy has gone in the right place so you can reward him? If you let him out in your yard, he can be chasing butterflies and then decide to come in. He still has to pee, but he's been distracted outside, so now he goes on the carpet. Does that sound familiar????
Now the biggee -- when he has to go. How do you know when your puppy or dog has to go? Keep a diary so you can anticipate when he has to go, and you'll see a pattern emerging. Then take him where you want him to go at those times. Also, look for his signals. Each dog is different and has different times and different signals. Respect what he is telling you, and then you can modify it later to suit your schedule. Remember when you were a kid and your mother said, "Have you gone potty before getting into the car? We're not going to be able to stop along the way." It's all coming back to haunt you now....
Watch him like a hawk or confine him -- if you aren't watching him, how do you know when he has to go? If you see him starting to signal to go potty in your living room, then you can whisk him outside to finish up. Most dogs do not like to pee or poop where they sleep, so that's why crating him when you can't watch him makes sense. Here are some products that can help you with confining your dog or puppy which help in the potty training.
Sometimes, it's not a simple housetraining issue. Do any of these pertain to your puppy?
- My puppy tears up the pee pads.
- My puppy misses the pads.
- My puppy cries in the crate.
- My puppy pees and poops in his crate.
- My puppy doesn't like to go outside for a walk.
I can help you with these issues -- and others. So why wait any longer? Sign up for a consultation so we can get started now!
Articles
Crate TrainingLinks
International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants
National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors
Certification Council for Pet Dog Trainers
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