Taking home a new puppy must be very exciting for all of us. And house training the new pup should be top of the list before we let this little bundle of excitement run all over our house.
House training is pretty much the same as potty – training a child. It is all about designating an allowable “dog toilet” area for your pet and may need a little reinforcement to minimize if not totally avoid submissive wetting and training accidents.
Submissive wetting may occur during discipline, greeting or high excitement. At times, a dog in puberty will also mark his or her territory by urinating.
Below are a few tips to make house training a little less challenging and a bit more fun!
House Training
Housetraining takes approximately two weeks for a new puppy to establish a provided routine. This will be easy and fast as long as you are ready and committed to a specific schedule. Retraining a previously trained dog, however, may take a little longer from four to six weeks.
It is advisable to have your dogs checked by a veterinarian to identify if there are any medical conditions such as urinary tract infections or intestinal parasites. These complications may make house training difficult to almost impossible if not identified from the start.
Vet checking a puppy over to make sure he is medically cleared for house training
Identifying your dog’s toilet area can be as general as outside the house or as particular as a specific area in your backyard and is best to ascertain this area before the start of the training. Remember, you cannot teach your dog what is acceptable if you yourself are not sure.
As dogs do not know what is right from wrong, it is important that we have a positive attitude towards house training. If there is an accident, calmly tell them “No” and avoid extreme punishments as possible.
Also, if your dog has gone to the designated area, let them know they are doing a good job by praising or providing a small treat. It is important to have a balance in training to make it successful.
Schedule For House Training
Make sure to create a schedule that is practical and doable for you. Considering your daily activities when creating this schedule is imperative as our dogs will also require a specific routine. If you cannot adhere to the same schedule every day, you cannot expect your dogs to, either.
House training needs to be on a schedule
Set a bedtime and wake up time, including naps, for your dogs. The more this schedule is followed, the less the chances are of having night time accidents. Dogs are likely to relieve themselves before bedtime and after waking up.
In some instances, they may also need to go out after their playtime. It is also advisable to avoid too many snacks that may upset their stomach. Having a specific mealtime will also help them stick to the scheduled bathroom routine.
During training, it is important to always take your pet to the toilet area. Quietly and patiently wait for him to find his spot without any distraction. Do not praise when he is doing his search.
Instead, give your commendations when he starts to relieve himself and when he’s done, admire him more and let him know that you are delighted with his action.
House Supervision
To avoid accidents, know where in the house your dog is and what he is doing. If he suddenly stops playing and is looking for a perfect spot, then he needs to go. In case of a training accident, firmly but calmly say “No”.
Then take him to his designated dog toilet area. Do not yell, contrary to what many people think, yelling does not help. It is important to pay attention to your dogs until they have established bladder and bowel control. There are several brands of puppy training pads available and you can check them out by clicking on this link. https://amzn.to/4lQ3IJB
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If supervision seems impossible for a specific period of time, place your dogs in a closed space with papers or let him stay where you are. Allow him to stay beside you while you watch the TV or while in front of the computer.
If you need to leave, feed your dogs at least two hours before so he has time to digest the food. Keep in mind that it is not advisable to leave food or water in the room and neither it is to leave your dog without being able to relieve himself for more than 8 hours.
Dealing with House Accidents
While we know that our dogs are smart as they can be, mastering this new talent may not be a hundred percent real. There may be chances that you will catch them in the act.
It may be due to too much excitement or you may have simply missed taking them out for their bathroom time. In any case, always remember to stay calm. Firmly say “No” and take them out to their toilet area. Scold the incident and not your dog.
Also, there are several deodorizing agents available in the market to remove stains and smells. Remember that dogs mark their territories by urinating. If they can smell their own scent, they may think that it is ok to go. Here is one example for you to check out by clicking on the photo below.
Nerve-wracking as it may be to both you and your new pup, house training can be handled easily. Just a little patience and a positive attitude, you sure will make it work!
All new dog owners should read this article, preferably, before they get their dog. https://happymutt.org/can-you-afford-to-own-a-dog/
Photos courtesy of Pixabay
Original source: https://www.dog.com/dog-articles/puppy-house-training/2076/
