Tips On House Training a Puppy
House training a puppy; what to expect..
You have made the decision to bring a new puppy in your home. This is an exciting time and the work is just beginning. All puppies require love, attention, food and house training.
House training will take on a life of its own. Communicate with the other members of your household to be just as vigilant as house training a puppy will require consistent effort on everybody's part to be successful.
House training a puppy should never be a race to the finish. You are trying to 'instill' a positive habit into your puppy and habit takes a little time to form. Puppies by nature, do not know that there is a right place and wrong place to do her business. The responsibility to teach is in your hands.
Although keeping the sleeping area clean is a natural instinct to all dogs, there will be slip-ups. Clean up the mistakes and get over it. It will take time to get that little bit of fluff trained. Use one of the products that will neutralize the odor every time there is a slip-up.
Begin the training regime by confining your puppy to a specific area and closely supervise the puppy. Supervising closely will likely result your new puppy increased freedom sooner.
It is theorized that a puppy can "hold it" one hour more for each month of age.For example, if your puppy is 2 months old, she should be able to hold it for 3 hours.
Feed your puppy on time. Do not feed close to bedtime as puppies tend to eliminate within 30 minutes after meal. Keep the water bowl away before you retire to bed. Establishing a routine will make potty training more manageable and also achieve faster results.
Equipment you will need for house training a puppy
1. You will need a good crate. It should be large enough for your puppy to sit, stand and lie down in. You should also think about how big that puppy will be when it is fully-grown.
2. If you do not want a crate, you will need to set up a comfortable area in your home with a small exercise pen. It should contain water, chew toys and a comfortable bed. There should not be a potty area in the pen.
Steps to Successful house training a puppy
1. Decide the best area outdoors that you would like to use for your potty training.
2. Keep your puppy in the crate or tether to a chair in the same area that you are working. Move the pen to that area if you are using a pen. Your puppy should not have free reign of your home. You should take your puppy out to the designated area every hour. Carry him in your arms or on a leash.
3. Once you reach the area, walk around for a few minutes. Pick a cue word. It can be anything you choose, "go", "hurry", "do it", or any other cue word that the puppy will associate with his doing his business.
4. As the puppy eliminates on cue, instantly make a big deal out of it. Praise and tasty treats are always appreciated.
Night lessons are a bit more challenging. Baby puppies cannot hold it all night. You can set your alarm to go through the same steps once or twice during the night. It is also important to take your puppy out after each meal. If you time it right, there will not be an additional time to add to the hourly trips.
Follow each step until things get to the point where your puppy can hold it until you are ready to take him out. This can take some time, but it is well worth it. Think of it as a good time to bond with your puppy and getting the kids involved in the training.
Improvements happen quickly but remember: Do not try to rush it and never gives up. House training a puppy takes time, but it's benefits will last a lifetime.
Go to Do's and Don'ts of Training a Puppy to Come
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