Housebreaking Your New Puppy by Jon L Templeton

Puppy Love

There are few things in the world cuter than a wriggly little puppy. Their furry little faces, big eyes, and waggling tails make puppies irresistible. People often have no intention of getting a puppy until they see them, and then can't resist taking home the cuddly little balls of fur. When most people get a new puppy, however, they often only imagine the good things--a dog waiting to greet them at the end of the day, playing ball in the park, or going for hikes with their dogs. Many people fail to see the hard work which accompanies raising a polite, well-mannered dog, and housebreaking is often one of the hardest things a dog owner will do. Many people give up their dogs in the first few months because they cannot housebreak them properly. But by using a few simple strategies, you can make house training your puppy a positive experience for you and your dog, and make a lifelong partnership between you and your pet. It requires time, vigilance, and patience, but in the end it will be well worth your efforts.

Accidents Happen

First, it is important to note that accidents are going to happen. Very few dogs are housebroken without at least one (but usually several) accidents in your home. This can actually be used as a terrific opportunity to train your dog. If you catch him in the act of going to the bathroom inside, make a startling noise, and immediately bring your pet outside to a designated bathroom spot. Once your pet finishes going, praise him, and reward him to let him know he did the right thing by going outside.

Clean up the soiled area immediately, and bring any soiled towels or any additional mess outside to the bathroom spot. Your puppy will quickly begin to associate the smell, and learn this is where he needs to go in the future.

Hone in on the Routine

Establishing a bathroom spot immediately outside of your house is part of the housebreaking process. If you bring your pet to the same spot every time, and reward him for his efforts every time he successfully eliminates there, he will begin to learn that spot as an association for going to the bathroom. When you bring your pet to the designated bathroom spot, be sure to use words like "go potty" so that the words will also be associated with the behavior. It will be an excellent reminder to your dog later on to go potty when he first wakes up or before going to bed at night.

Set a routine to make house training your puppy easier for you and your pup. After feedings, waterings, playing, and sleeping, take your puppy to the outside bathroom area to go. This way your pup will know he is going to go outside to go to the bathroom after each of these activities. By taking him outside frequently and immediately after each of these activities, you will avoid too many messes in your home, and help your dog to establish a routine with eliminating. Dogs are creatures of habit, and setting a routine for them according to their dog calendar is going to be one of the easiest ways to get them housebroken with minimal accidents.

Supervision and Monitoring

Constant supervision is another key to successfully house training your puppy. When indoors, keep your new puppy close by within eyesight at all times. One good way of doing this is to keep your pet tethered to you by a leash at all times while you are home with the puppy. This way, you can not only check for signs of your dog needing to go to the bathroom, but you can keep your puppy from getting into mischief as well. Look for behaviors such as circling or sniffing as indicators of needing to go to the bathroom. When you observe these behaviors, bring your dog outside immediately, and praise him when he goes.

If you cannot closely watch your dog at all times, keeping him in a confined space is going to help with house training your puppy. Whether it is an area of your home which is blocked off with boxes or baby gates, or a crate for your puppy, keeping him confined will usually prevent accidents as well as prevent your puppy from getting into trouble. Dogs don't like to eliminate where they sleep, so make sure the area is small enough to keep him from wanting to urinate in the area, but large enough for him to be able to stand up, lay down, and turn around.

Altering the Routine

If you find you are going to be gone for long periods of time, you cannot expect your new puppy to be able to hold his bladder for more than a few hours. If this is the case, paper training in the home may be the easiest way to begin housebreaking your new puppy.

Bear in mind that if you paper train your pet, you may be prolonging the entire housebreaking process, and may make your pet prefer to eliminate on paper for the rest of his life. If this method is to be used, however, it is important to bring any soiled towels or anything used to clean up accidents in the home to an area where newspaper is spread out. This way your puppy will smell the area and begin to understand that the area is to be used for eliminating. Keep your dog confined to a slightly larger area where there can be room to sleep and a separate space to eliminate if the urge strikes.

When house training your puppy, praise works far better than punishment. It is important to carry treats with you for the first few weeks of house training to reward your dog immediately upon eliminating in the proper area. If you wait until you have gone back inside, your dog will often have forgotten the good deed.

Instant gratification will be one of the more successful measures of house training your puppy. On the flip side, punishment is not a good tool for house training your puppy. Rubbing their noses in it, or scolding them after the fact only makes them afraid of eliminating in front of you. The best thing you can do after the fact is to simply clean it up, and put the soiled towels in the bathroom area.

Housebreaking a dog is often what makes or breaks a good relationship between a person and his dog. It takes a lot of work, and a lot of diligence to have a dog properly house trained. When your dog has gone 2-3 months without having an accident, you can consider him successfully housebroken.

Until then, establishing a routine, constant supervision, and designating an area as the bathroom area just outside your home will help your pet associate going to the bathroom with the outdoors.

Jon Templeton recommends purchasing Weruva from only trustworthy and experienced online pet food retailers. For more information, view Jon's top recommended Weruva dog food retailer's gi-nor-mous selection of long-lasting dog chews, dog food, cat food, dog treats and litter available for purchase and free shipping.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jon_L_Templeton