Posts Tagged ‘house training’

House Training Your Puppy

House training your puppy can be one of the most important, and potentially stressful and time-consuming, aspects of having a new puppy in the house. It is very important to start as soon as you introduce your puppy to the house, and be sure to remain consistent and vigilant.

Before you even bring your puppy into the home, it has already started learning that there are some places he shouldn’t eliminate. When puppies are with their mothers, they quickly learn to go to the toilet away from the main sleeping area.

Investing in a crate is usually the easiest way to house train a young puppy. Contrary to what some people may think, crate training is actually not cruel to the animal. The crate becomes your puppy’s den, and he can use it when he needs some time away from potentially stressful family activities. It’s a good idea to feed your puppy in the crate, and make it comfortable so that he is happy to go into it.

When your puppy is comfortable in the crate, you can gradually start to shut door, then to leave the puppy alone in it for a little while. Allow your puppy to sleep in the crate, and, again, it will not go to the toilet in the sleeping area. Remember, routine and consistency makes house training easier and faster.

Do not give your dog anything to eat after dinnertime. Also, remember to also take him outside to go just before you go to bed at night. In the early stages of house training, you will need to get up during the night to take your puppy outside to go to the toilet, as he can’t hold on for very long. As soon as you get up in the morning, again take him outside to go to the toilet.

Also, make sure you take him to the same part of your yard each time. The smell there will encourage him to go to the toilet in that area. You may need to wait for a while he sniffs around, but do be patient, and remember to praise him when he does eventually go.

If your puppy does have an accident inside the house, use an enzyme-based cleaner to remove all of the traces. If you do not do this, the smell will persist there and he may be encouraged to go to the toilet there again in the future.

If your puppy does make a mistake, do not yell, get angry, or even worse, rub his nose in it. Doing this can lead to fear and toileting problems, such as hiding to go to toilet because they’re scared of your reaction. It can also damage your relationship with your dog. It is better to keep an eye on your puppy at all times, and give him every opportunity to do the right thing.

As with children, gentle persistence and consistency will lead to them eventually becoming house trained. If you do it correctly, it will be as stress free as possible, for both you and your pup.