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Puppy Housetraining

Techniques For Puppy Potty Training

Successful Puppy Housetraining is About Prevention, Never Punishment.

Close supervision is essential to preventing unwanted elimination accidents. Most dogs can take as long as six months to be fully potty trained. No doubt, there will be occasions when an accident happens in the house. In the event of an accident or any housetraining setback, do NOT punish. Accidents can occur in just a few seconds. Punishing after the fact will confuse your puppy and most likely create a fear of you. Instead, continue to watch for signs that your puppy needs to eliminate and be observant of your puppy's behaviors.

What Are The SIGNS Your Puppy Needs To Go Potty?

     Running out of the room suddenly;
     Sniffing the floor;
     Circling;
     Squatting suddenly;
     Whining.

Understanding WHEN Your Puppy Needs To Go Potty

As a new puppy or dog owner, learn when your puppy needs to go out to potty to eliminate many accidents during your housetraining period. The most common elimination times are:
  1. After waking up in the morning.
  2. After feeding.
  3. After drinking water.
  4. After being crated.
  5. After playing.
  6. After any excitement.
  7. Before going to bed.

Puppy Potty Training - Success With Your Puppy Housetraining

Puppy potty training success really boils down to putting puppy on a potting training schedule. By becoming more aware of puppy's elimination needs you can actually teach him (or her) when to go! New puppy owners that work full time will also benefit from understanding how a schedule fits in with their daily timelines and still properly housetrain a puppy from day one. Both owner and dog benefit from doing the same daily tasks in a timely manner. With this understanding and awareness, choose a puppy potty training technique to impliment where and when you want your puppy's elimination to take place... indoors? ... outdoors? You really CAN teach your puppy where and when to eliminate.

TECHNIQUES for Puppy Potty Training:

  Technique One:  Outside On a Leash

Take puppy outside on a leash to a designated area on your property. Each time you go out to potty train your puppy go to the same spot. Watch how quickly puppy learns by smelling an old elimination spot. Notice how the sniffing takes on a direction to the affected area! Always use a simple command like "Go Potty" and praise after elimination.

(Note: Remember to have your puppy immunized by a veternarian within the first week of bringing it home before taking him outside. This helps protect your little one from susceptible airborne dog diseases.)

  Technique Two:  Indoors With Newspapers

Using newspapers in a designated area of any room where you want him to go is another housetraining puppy method. Newspapers can quickly be cleaned up and thrown away, but don't be surprised to find puppy playing and shredding the newspapers. After he eliminates, quickly clean up and lay new papers down.

  Technique Three:  Indoors with Puppy Pads

Puppy housetraining pads (28" x 35 1/2") make a nice alternative to newspapers. They come 'pre-odored' and are scented to attract your puppy. Training pads will encourage your puppy to go in the same spot. Odor eliminators and plastic backing protects rugs and floors from smelling and getting wet. Like newspapers, set up in a designated area of any room. Both puppy pads and odor eliminators can be purchased at any of your local pet stores or conveniently online at Dog.com - Discount Pet Supplies or PETCO - we highly recommend either store for all your dog supplies!

  Technique Four:  Indoors with Wizdog

There is a new technology called Wizdog which is an easier and cleaner alternative for puppy potty training. If using just newspapers or training pads alone they very well may end up getting shredded! Wizdog fixes all that. Check it out! They get rave reviews with excellent results! I have friends that have used this method with their puppies and love it. A great idea for those rainy days too! Nearly 10,000 new puppy owners are already using this new technology. Wish this was available for us 11 years ago!  ;) Way to go Wizdog!

  Technique Five:  Outside with Clicker Training

Clickers are very inexpensive and can be purchased at most pet supply stores. The theory behind clicker training is your dog performs a desired behavior for the reward of hearing the clicking sound. Clicker training is used by many dog trainers to teach behaviors.

For more information on Clicker training, visit either of these sites:
   Clicker Training for Dogs by Gary Wilkes
    Karen Pryor Clickertraining

House Training Puppy Setbacks

The most common mistake during puppy housetraining is giving puppy free reign of your home. By allowing your puppy free run of the house, you are not providing the supervision he or she needs, and could definitely cause housebreaking setbacks to any training already started.

Think about it... your puppy comes home for his or her first day and has had free reign of the house with the kids without supervision. Little did you notice, your puppy has just peed all over the place. And you didn't even know it. Guess what? Because you were unaware of these incidents while the children played with puppy, you now have spots all over your home that will be revisited and re-eliminated on. Exactly how the probem gets worse! Supervision is an important aspect of housetraining your new puppy.

Cleaning Elimination Accidents

Use a good neutralizer to clean any accident areas. The odor and familiarity will bring a puppy back to eliminate those same affected areas if not cleaned properly. Accidents will happen during the housetraining period and are a normal occurance when owning such a young dog. Never punish your dog "after an accident" - just clean it up. When catching an incident "during the act", firmly say "NO!" and quickly move puppy to an area you choose for potty.

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Observe your dog and you will quickly learn to tell the difference between whether your puppy is exploring his new universe or just searching for a "good location". If your pup starts to make a mistake, firmly say "No" and show him where to eliminate. Never punish after the act. It is already too late. House training a dog is not difficult, but it will correlate to how devoted you are to train your puppy the basics.

Can't be home all day? Find out why crate training becomes your potty training friend!

Happy house training... be patient and be consistent. You and your dog will reap the rewards of your persistence. In the meantime, enjoy your new little buddy!

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