House training puppies is an important part of living with our beloved canine friends. And with a little training up front the family dog can provide valuable companionship and love for many years to come. Nobody is ever pleased when they come home to find that their little pooch has left them an unwelcome “present”. And it sometimes breaks our hearts that the pup seems to feel just as badly about the problem as we do. But luckily it’s easily remedied if you know the right techniques. The real key to house training puppies is twofold. Your puppy needs to be taught that doing his business is an outdoor activity, and he’ll need to learn that this is not negotiable.
House Training: Defining The Target
The first step in house training puppies is to define the location for him “target”. You need to get him to understand that when he feels the urge to pee or poop that he heads for the target zone without delay. In the beginning, the best puppy house training target is a bunch of newspaper spread across the floor (the entire floor of a small room if possible). This makes it obvious that this is the spot for him to approach. Just don’t make the mistake of leaving the Sunday paper on the carpet in the living room next to your recliner. Believe me it takes all the “fun” out of the Sunday funnies.
When your pup needs to go, bring him to the newspaper and stay with him. For proper house training, correct him if necessary by positioning him on the newspaper (repeatedly) and praise his successful efforts lavishly. Many pet owners are now taking advantage of the more convenient puppy pads that have become available. Puppy pads come with leak-proof features, deodorizers and are scented to attract your pup when nature calls. As the house training progresses and your puppy gets a little more control over his biological faculties, you can start to reduce the size of the newspaper target. It’s even better yet if you can designate that room to be the puppy’s house training room and only take him out for companionship or to play when he can be carefully supervised.
But when house training your puppy, you also don’t want to isolate the little pooch. I’ve found that those pet gates that can be stretched across a doorway allows the puppy to see you so as not to feel alone and isolated from the family. Some trainers prefer house training puppies utilizing dog crates. Crate training, which also confines the puppy to a defined area, uses the puppy’s natural tendency not to want to mess it’s sleeping area to help in the house training process. And it has an advantage of not only helping to house train your puppy, but also having your dog already used to being in a dog crate for those times you need to confine your dog for one reason or another (like when half a plumber is sticking out from under the kitchen sink).
Training The Trainer To House Train Puppies
Wow… that’s a mouthful. but just what does it mean? House training puppies is not just about training the puppy, it has a lot to do with bringing your own training up to speed. When house training puppies, you need to decide on the actions and the commands for those actions that you’ll be communicating to your pet. Inconsistent puppy training commands are one of the more common dog obedience problems. It’s best that you realize this puppy house training fact sooner rather than later.
When house training puppies, you’ll need to pay close attention to the unique moods, preferences and even quirks of your pet. House training puppies has a lot to do with knowing your puppy’s individual temperament. If you can learn your puppy’s “tells” or signs of behavior, it will be much easier for you to react quickly and correctly house train your puppy. It’s this decisive action at the appropriate moment that will house train your puppy the fastest. Spend time with your puppy to learn what behavior he exhibits when he is about to answer the call of nature. Does he squirm around?… or seek your attention?… or disappear somewhere out of sight? Becoming familiar with your individual puppy’s signs will help you to act quickly and get him to the news-papered area in time for your puppy to do the right thing and receive plenty of praise and rewards.
Timing Is Everything In House Training Puppies
As with all our other canine friends, puppies will need to do their business very soon after waking up, after eating, and often after increased physical activity like a good romp or wresting match.
So these are the times you’ll want to be particularly aware of your puppy’s behavior. Why not take advantage of this simple fact to help house train your puppy? Be prepared to bring your pup to the defined puppy house training area as these are the times when it’s most likely to ‘bear fruit’ as they say. You want to follow the correct behavior action with an immediate reward of lavish praise and a tasty dog treat. And when the time is right is the very best opportunity to take advantage of house training your puppy.
Related posts:
- Instinct Really Helps When House Training a Dog
- Meeting The Challenge Of House Training Older Dogs
- Dog Potty Training: Avoiding Bad Habits
- Crate Training: A Dog’s Private Sanctuary Or A Doggy Prison?
- Dog Training Collars Are Great Tools If You Use Them Responsibly
- Citronella Bark Collars Use Your Dog’s Nose As A Training Tool
