Dog Training: House Breaking A New Puppy
So you've welcomed a new puppy into your home, either as a pet for your child, or as a companion for yourself. They're great pets, as we all know, but they also make messes in their early days. You will want to quickly get your new puppy adjusted to it's new surroundings and most importantly, teach your him the appropriate place to do his business. It's not always an easy task, but with a little patience, should be a piece of cake.
The first thing to remember when house breaking your new puppy is that you need to stay committed to a routine until your puppy is fully trained. House training takes patience and time.
The most successful method for training your puppy is the crate method. If you do not have a dog/puppy crate, you can cordon off a small area for your puppy where his is unable to move around. This will be your puppy's sleeping area. Dogs do not soil their sleep area, so keeping your puppy in this area, will help establish this area as a no go zone.
If your puppy does not go in this area, you then move him/her to the appropriate area for eliminating waste at an appropriate time. You should not leave a puppy in its crate/sleep area for an extended period of time, as a puppy does not have a large capacity for waste to begin with. So semi-frequent breaks are required. Each hour if possible.
Once you have taken your puppy to it's appropriate area, wait to see if he/she goes. If the puppy does go, be sure to offer up praise, as positive reinforcement will help establish that the puppy has done the right thing (negative reinforcement with a strong "No!" can be used when the puppy goes in the wrong place). If the puppy does not relieve itself after a sufficient length of time, take him/her back to it's crate/sleep area.
At night it is best not to feed your puppy after a certain time and to be sure your pup has been taken to relieve itself before you call it a night.
As stated, house training takes time and commitment. It may be wise to keep a log of your activities to help establish a routine for your puppy. Keeping a routine feeding time, with time for relieving itself immediately after, can help greatly with a young puppy, as it can help develop a solid route for relieving itself.
If you stay consistent with your puppy, the training process can go by fairly quick and your puppy will develop the awareness needed to go on his/her own before long. You will no longer need to worry about messes in your home and will be able to move in to more advanced training of your puppy, as well as to enjoy your great new pet to the fullest. They truly are man's best friend and with a little patience you will experience this to the fullest extent as you and your puppy grow along together.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Dog Training
Written By: Michael Russell
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