House training
As with
most things in life, there are
hard ways and there are easy
ways to get things done. Rubbing
a puppy's nose in a mess is an
inappropriate way to housetrain.
Using ample amounts of
supervision and positive
reinforcement is the easy way.
Starting Off On the Right Track
The first
course of action in
housetraining is to promote the
desired behavior. You need to:
Designate
an appropriate elimination area
outdoors
Frequently
guide your dog there to do his
business
Heartily
praise him when he goes
By
occasionally giving a food
reward immediately after your
dog finishes, you can encourage
him to eliminate in the desired
area. The odor left from
previous visits to that area
will quickly mark it as the
place for the pup to do his
business.
Timing Is Important!
A six- to
eight-week old puppy should be
taken outdoors every one to
three hours. Older puppies can
generally wait longer between
outings. Most puppies should be
taken out:
After
waking in the morning
After naps
After
meals
After
playing or training
After
being left alone
Immediately before being put to
bed
Eliminating On Command
To avoid
spending a lot of time waiting
for your puppy to get the job
done, you may want to teach him
to eliminate on command. Each
time he is in the act of
eliminating, simply repeat a
unique command, such as "hurry
up" or "potty", in an upbeat
tone of voice. After a few weeks
of training, you will notice
that when you say the command
your puppy will begin
pre-elimination sniffing,
circling, and then eliminate
shortly after you give the
command. Be sure to praise him
for his accomplishments.
Feeding Schedules
Most
puppies will eliminate within an
hour after eating. Once you take
control of your puppy's feeding
schedule, you will have some
control over when he needs to
eliminate.
Schedule
your puppy's dinner times so
that you will be available to
let him out after eating.
Avoid
giving your puppy a large meal
just prior to confining him or
he may have to eliminate when
you are not around to take him
out. Schedule feeding two to
three times daily on a
consistent schedule.
Have food
available for only 30 to 40
minutes, then remove it.
The last
feeding of the day should be
completed several hours before
he is confined for the night. By
controlling the feeding
schedule, exercise sessions,
confinement periods, and trips
outdoors to the elimination
area, your puppy will quickly
develop a reliable schedule for
eliminating.
Expect Some Mistakes
Left on
his own, the untrained puppy is
very likely to make a mistake.
Close supervision is a very
important part of training. Do
not consider your puppy
housetrained until he has gone
at least four consecutive weeks
without eliminating in the
house. For older dogs, this
period should be even longer.
Until then:
Your puppy
should constantly be within
eyesight
Baby gates
can be helpful to control
movement throughout the house
and to aid supervision
Keep them
in the crate when unsupervised.
When you
are away from home, sleeping, or
if you are just too busy to
closely monitor your pet's
activities, confine him to a
small, safe area in the home.
Nervous Wetting
If your
puppy squats and urinates when
he greets you, he may have a
problem called submissive
urination. Dogs and puppies that
urinate during greetings are
very sensitive and should never
be scolded when they do this,
since punishment inevitably
makes the problem worse.
Most young
puppies will grow out of this
behavior if you are calm, quiet,
and avoid reaching toward the
head during greetings. Another
helpful approach is to calmly
ask your dog to sit for a very
tasty treat each time someone
greets him.
Direct Him Away from Problem
Areas
Urine and
fecal odor should be thoroughly
removed to keep your dog from
returning to areas of the home
where he made a mess.
Be sure to
use a good commercial product
manufactured specifically to
clean up doggy odors. Follow the
manufacturer's recommendations
for usage.
If a
carpeted area has been soaked
with urine, be sure to saturate
it with the clean up product and
not merely spray the surface.
Rooms in
the home where your dog has had
frequent mistakes should be
closed off for several months.
He should only be allowed to
enter when accompanied by a
family member.
Don't Make Things Worse
It is a
rare dog or puppy that can be
housetrained without making an
occasional mess, so you need to
be ready to handle the
inevitable problems.
Do not
rely on harsh punishment to
correct mistakes. This approach
usually does not work, and may
actually delay training.
An
appropriate correction consists
of simply providing a moderate,
startling distraction. You
should only do this when you see
your dog in the act of
eliminating in the wrong place.
A sharp
noise, such as a loud "No" or a
quick stomp on the floor, is all
that is usually needed to stop
the behavior. Just do not be too
loud or your pet may learn to
avoid eliminating in front of
you, even outdoors.
Practice Patience
Do not
continue to scold or correct
your dog after he has stopped
soiling. When he stops, quickly
take him outdoors so that he
will finish in the appropriate
area and be praised.
Never rub your dog's nose in a
mess. There is absolutely no way
this will help training, and may
actually make him afraid of you.
Success!
The basic
principles of housetraining are
pretty simple, but a fair amount
of patience is required. The
most challenging part is always
keeping an eye on your active
dog or puppy. If you maintain
control, take your dog outdoors
frequently, and consistently
praise the desirable behavior,
soon you should have a house
trained canine companion.
