A bond of trust. When you first
bring your puppy home they’re frightened. Your puppy is in a new
environment and has no idea what to expect. It may be an exciting
time for you but it’s a terrifying time for your dog. This is the
best time to begin building a bond of trust. This means play time,
cuddles, and snuggles. It also means proper training with praise and
rewards.
Structure. To house train puppies you must provide a dependable
structure. This means feeding them at the same time every day, going
to bed and waking up at the same time every day and taking them
outside regularly until they learn to tell you they need to go
outside. Create a structure and your puppy will learn much more
quickly what they’re supposed to do.
Puppies typically:
o Need to urinate 10-15 minutes after each meal.
o Need to have a bowel movement 15-30 minutes after each meal.
o Need to urinate after they wake up.
o Need to pee after you play with him or after he’s had a period of
high activity.
o Need to pee every 4 to 5 hours during the day and the night until
they are about 12 weeks old.
What to pack for the trip. Tools for house training puppies.
A signal. Not a signal for you to give your dog but rather a signal
for your dog to give you. Yes some dogs give physical signals like
scratching or sniffing the carpet but what if your dog does that and
you’re not in the room? Instead give your dog a signal. One commonly
successful signal is a bell.
Tie a long piece of string to a bell and tie the other end of the
string to the doorknob. Every time you take your dog outside, the
bell rings. At some point your dog will bump the bell on his own.
When he does this, immediately take him outside. This reinforces the
behavior and your dog now knows that when he rings the bell you take
him outside.
A Potty Place. For your sake and your puppy’s give them a location
to have your dog go to the bathroom. If you have a large yard then
your dog’s potty place can be the entire yard or it can be a small
corner in the back. The location and the size of the location are up
to you.
If you don’t have a yard then your potty place can be the
dog walk next to your apartment building or condo. A designated
potty place gives your dog a cue about what you expect from him. If
you always take him to the same location and you always use the same
command or potty word, “Go Potty,” for example, then your dog will
quickly catch on.
Cleaners. Your puppy will have accidents – guaranteed. To get rid of
them quickly and to eliminate any lingering scent which often
triggers a return to the scene of the crime, enzyme cleaners are
very helpful.
Treats and rewards. Dogs love food. They also love verbal and
physical praise from their owners. Save your puppies favorite treats
and lots of love and praise for successful house training attempts
and they’ll be anxious to repeat the experience.
Successfully house training puppies doesn’t have to end with a 12
month battle of wills it can instead be a very short smooth road.
Understand what your puppy needs and give it to them with kindness
and praise. They’ll be house trained in no time. |
