Puppy House Training
Posted on October 19th, 2010 Written by +Brian Benson Email Author
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Teaching Your Puppy to be House-trained
Puppies are very cute and no person could ever resist their loveable charm. But despite their cuddliness, every pet owner wishes that these little critters would come house-trained. Puppy house training is essential for every person wanting to own a lovely little puppy. Some puppies can learn quickly while others take more time but nevertheless pet owners shouldn’t fret over whether their puppies can learn quickly or not because most of them will learn eventually as long as the owner or trainer would exert lots of effort and patience in teaching these cute little hairballs.
It is best to start early with house training. Puppy house training, although hard at first, can be very beneficial. Teaching adult dogs can be much more difficult due to their being set on their ways unlike puppies. According to several dog experts it’s best to rear canines when they are still pups. In the show, Dog Whisperer, the host reiterates that in order for housetraining to be much more effective, pet owners should start with their canine companions when they are still puppies.
One thing that pet owners do not have to worry about yet when it comes to puppy house training is when dogs urinate to mark their territory. Puppies are not yet inclined to do this sort of thing and only adult dogs mark their territory with their urine.
The pet owner’s attitude is the primary factor in puppy house training. Pet owners should remember that the puppy does not know what he is doing wrong. Puppies do not have the concept of right and wrong. If the puppy makes a mistake, pet owners should tell him that what he did was wrong but they should not discipline him too harshly. Pet owners should make the puppy aware that they are displeased but they should not let the pup feel that they are the source of pain or discomfort. In puppy house training, it is important that pups do not associate their owners with pain.
Before starting the training pet owners should know that they should first learn how a puppy’s mind works. Knowing this beforehand can help an owner make puppy house training a lot easier. One of the things that pet owners should understand is that a human’s idea of a place where to poop is a lot different for a pup. Puppies, or dogs, relieve their selves wherever they find their selves feeling the urge to do so. They do not have the concept of pooping at a particular place unlike humans. What puppies prefer when they feel the urge to defecate is to look for a quiet place that is far from his food and bed. That is any puppy or adult dog’s rule in staying healthy and keeping safe.
With this in mind a puppy would find a person’s bedroom or behind the sofa as preferable places to do the deed. It is the pet owner’s responsibility to teach the young pup that these places are not the proper locations for that kind of deed and that there are other places for him to go to.
Make a Schedule for Puppy House Training
Pet owners should make a schedule for this kind of training and keep to it at all times. Puppies are hard to discipline and are easily distracted so if the pet owner cannot keep to the schedule, they have made things fall apart during puppy house training.
So to start the training pet owners, should choose a spot in their garden for their puppies to use as a toilet area.
It is also important to remember that the early warning system of a puppy, which tells him that he needs to pee or poop, is not very reliable yet. Most of the times a puppy, once feels the urge to defecate, will almost immediately bend down and do his deed. With this in mind pet owners should consider picking a spot where it is very easy for the pup to reach from his current bed, play and food area.
It is also useful to remember that puppies usually feel the urge to do their deed after these certain events:
- Right after waking.
- Right after drinking or eating.
- Whenever they feel excited.
- Right after playing and sometimes while embroiled in a wild game and he did not get a chance to do his deed before he started playing.
- At least every hour.
These are just some of the signs pet owners should look out for when they want to teach puppy house training.
Learn to See the Signs
Pet owners can make puppy house training a lot easier if they would try to learn a puppy’s body language. Pet owners should observe their puppies closely and remember what mannerisms they show when they are about to poop or urinate. Most of the times, puppies are about to do their deed when they start to sniff around like they’re looking for something and when they circle around one spot with their tails held high it is most likely that they are about to defecate at that spot.
When they are about to do that pet owners should carry them and bring them to their chosen toilet area. With constant repetition, puppies will understand that the spot pet owners have chosen is where they should defecate and eventually they will head straight there when they feel the urge to do so the next time.
Puppies are Just Like Little Kids
Patience is a must in puppy house training and pet owners should always be willing to guide their puppies. Puppies do not understand immediately what their owners tell them to do, so it is important that owners take their puppies to that place where they can defecate and they should stay with them for a while. Owners should encourage the pup to go ahead with their deed because they might hesitate a bit because they were taken from the place where they wanted to poop. When they are interrupted from doing their deed pups feel that they are doing something wrong and will hesitate to proceed with it even when the owner has placed them on their preferred spot. So it is useful to encourage the puppies to perform their deed. It is also useful to praise them whenever they get it right the next time. When they have finished doing their deed pet owners should praise them enough so that they will understand that the owner is very proud of them. This will lead them to perform their deed at the designated place because it is what makes their owners proud of them.
Puppy House Training is Not a Game
Pet owners should remember that puppy house training is not a game. When puppies do not perform their deed right after they are taken to their toilet area then bring them back inside. But owners should not leave them to wander around otherwise they will poop inside the house. It is useful to have an indoor kennel for the puppy to stay inside for a while. After ten to fifteen minutes pet owners can take the puppy out again for another attempt.
Pet owners should not expect their puppies to last the whole night without defecating or urinating. As mentioned before, puppies are just like little children and they will need to perform their deed even during night time. Even when puppies have gotten used to being house-trained during daytime they would still poop or urinate heedlessly during the night. In order to deal with this, pet owners should cover areas near the puppy with layers of newspapers. Also, they should put some polythene under the newspapers to protect the floor.
Puppies will Make Mistakes Every Now and Then
Pet owners should keep in mind that puppies will have an accident even after hours of training. A puppy cannot wait for the right time to go and owners should not punish them if they are unable to do so. Punishing the pup will only confuse the animal and it may even lead him to secretly perform his deed to the owner’s dismay. So rather than become annoyed with a pup’s behaviour pet owners should keep in mind that the puppy is just doing what he is inclined to do and they should just clean up after his mess with minimal fuss. Also, clean the poop area with a pet deodoriser to eliminate any smell. Humans won’t be able to smell a pup’s poop odour after cleaning his area with a normal cleaner but the puppy might still be able to smell any residual scent which might attract him to that same area again.
Recall The Puppy’s Actions Before He Pooped
Remembering what the puppy did before he pooped in any undesired area can be useful to watching out for signs that the puppy is about to do the deed again. Here are too a few things to watch out for when housetraining a puppy:
- When did the puppy stay outside?
- When was the last time the puppy ate?
- Did the puppy have a change in diet?
- Was there a change in household routine?
- Does the puppy poops accidentally when he is excited?
- Has the pet owner been too lax with the house training too early?
- Has the pet owner cleaned the areas where the pup accidentally pooped at with a pet deodoriser?
- Does the puppy understand what his owner expects of him?
One of the reasons that the puppy might be experiencing several accidents is that he still does not fully understand what is expected of him. This would mean that the pet owner extend his patience a little longer because he would need to teach the puppy again without shouting at him or smacking him.
It is but natural that a puppy that has undergone puppy house training and looks trained can go back to his old ways. When this happens pet owners should not feel defeated, instead they should look back and check for signs leading to the puppy’s return to his old ways. It is quite a test on someone’s patience but if one perseveres a puppy that is housetrained will carry that until he grows old.
Sometimes medical maladies can be the reason for the puppy’s unwillingness to learn puppy house training. Although rare, some puppies are unaware that they need to defecate because of the absence of a stimulus. When this happens it’s best to bring the puppy to a vet and have him checked.
Another occurrence that can seem like a bane for most pet owners is when puppies or dogs have little accidents whenever they meet visitors or other family members. When the pups or dogs get excited they can’t help but let loose a small puddle and even if the pet owner chastises his puppy the situation just keep on repeating. But owners should not despair because this is quite different when dogs urinate because they need to. When puppies and dogs see visitors and they urinate this is called submissive urination and a different kind of training is required for this kind of occurrence.
When the puppy or dog does this it only means that he is trying to show his respect for the visitors or family member. It is much more common among female dogs. In order to help the dogs break from this habit it is best not to shout at them, and have visitors greet them outside where they can urinate willingly.
Puppy house training can be hard at first and can lead several pet owners to frustration, but if one is patient enough a well-trained pet can be very rewarding. Puppies that have undergone puppy house training are also more likely to carry their training until they are old so it is best to teach dogs when they are still pups. Pet owners should always remember that puppies are just like children and that they need constant guidance and encouragement rather than punishment and chastisement.
