Pet Care
Housetraining
Housetraining your
puppy should be one of the easiest feats to accomplish. There are only five
rules to housetraining a dog. If you don’t break any of these rules you can
look forward to having a dog that seldom, if ever, has “accidents”.
1. Be sure to go outside with your puppy to praise him for eliminating.
Most puppy owners relegate their unhousetrained puppy to the great outdoors
and expect the puppy to know why he is out there. Even if fate were with
you, and the puppy does eliminate in the proper place at the proper time,
there is no reward or positive reinforcement to tell him this was the
“right” thing to do. A puppy is more likely to repeat a behavior if he is
rewarded for it. Without a reward, there is no reason for the pup to repeat
this behavior.
Go outside with your puppy and put him in the same spot and say the same
thing every time you go out. Keep repeating “go potty” or if it’s really
cold outside keep repeating “H-U-R-R-RY U-P”. As soon as your puppy
eliminates, drop into a crouch, clap your hands and praise him
enthusiastically as if it were the greatest thing you have ever seen. You do
not need food to reward your puppy for urinating or defecating outside. Your
enthusiasm is plenty. Don’t use food as a crutch.
2. Take your pup out at the right time.
You do not have to frustrate yourself waiting for your puppy to eliminate
outside. Timing is everything. Puppies only do four things: eat, drink,
sleep and play. That’s it. Make sure your puppy goes outside after doing any
of the above. It is guaranteed your puppy will urinate towards the end of or
shortly after one of the previous activities. Give the puppy approximately
five minutes outside with you. In the event that your pup does not eliminate
outside, bring him back inside and confine him to a limited area. Try again
later.
3. Watch your puppy.
Just as you must be present to reward the pup for urinating or defecating
outside, you must catch him in the act of eliminating indoors. Dedicate
yourself for ten to fourteen days, watching your pup’s movements through a
designated, confined area of the house so you can catch him should he make a
mistake. You must be consistent. If you only catch the pup occasionally, you
are bound to have a confused pup and a frustrated owner on your hands.
4. Don’t over-punish.
Many people think that punishing a puppy by rubbing his nose in the stool or
striking with a newspaper is appropriate. It isn’t. Simply startle the puppy
with a shout as he is making a mistake, then get him outside to “his spot”
and praise him. You can expect a puppy to make mistakes. A mistake is a
learning experience and should be treated as such.
5. Confine your puppy.
If your puppy is allowed to have the run of the house or even a room, how
are you going to catch him in the act of eliminating indoors to tell him
that that is “bad”? Keep the pup confined to a crate or a cage when you are
not available to watch him at all times. He will grow to appreciate his own
room and will thank you for keeping him out of trouble.
If you are experiencing difficult behavior with your puppy or adult dog, please contact us. Most problem behaviors can be corrected. We want to help and encourage a happy and healthy relationship for you and your dog for many years to come.
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