Dog training - house training your dog
House training is one of the most important parts of training any dog to be a valued part of the family. As with many other aspects of dog training, the best way to house train a dog is to use the dog's own nature to your benefit. The great thing about dogs, and the thing that can make house training much easier, is that dogs are instinctively very clean animals. Dogs would rather not soil the areas where they sleep and eat. In addition, dogs are very good at developing habits regarding where they like to urinate and defecate. For example, dogs that are used to eliminating on concrete or gravel will prefer to eliminate there rather than on grass or dirt. It is possible to use these natural canine habits when house training your dog. Setting up the training area The first step in house training your dog is to set up your training area. A small, confined space such as a bathroom, or part of a kitchen or garage, works best as a training area. This method of training differs from crate training. Crate training is great for puppies and small dogs, but many larger dogs find a crate too confining.
It is important for the owner to spend as much time in the training area with his or her dog as possible. It is important for the owner to play with the dog in the training area, and to let the dog eat and sleep in that area. The dog should be provided with a special bed in the training area, anything from a store bought bed to a large towel to a large box. At first, the dog may eliminate in this area, but once the dog has recognized it as his or her own space, he or she will be reluctant to soil it.
After the dog has gotten used to sleeping in the bed, the owner can move it around the house, relocating it from room to room. When you are not with your dog, the dog should be confined to the training area.
Setting up the toilet area The second part of house training is to set up the toilet area for the dog. It is important for the dog to have access to this place every time he or she needs to eliminate. It is also important for the owner to accompany the dog each time until he or she gets into the habit of eliminating in the toilet area. This will ensure that the dog uses only the established toilet area.
A set feeding schedule makes the house training process a lot easier for both the owner and the dog. Feeding the dog on a regular basis will also create a regular schedule for the dog's toilet habits. Once you know when your dog is likely to need to eliminate, it will be simple to guide the dog to the established toilet area.
Once the dog has established a toilet area and is using it on a regular basis, it is very important to not confine the dog without access to the toilet area for long periods of time. That is because if the dog is unable to hold it, he or she may be forced to eliminate in the training area. This habit can make house training much more difficult.
Continuing the house training process After the dog is consistently eliminating in the toilet area and not soiling the training area, it is time to extend that training area to the rest of the home. This process should be done slowly, starting with one room and slowly expanding to the rest of the house. The area should only be extended once you are sure of the dog's ability to control its bladder and bowels.
When you first expand the training area to a single room, let the dog eat, play and sleep in that room, but only when supervised. When it is not possible to supervise the dog, place it back in the original training area. Then, after the dog has accepted the room as an extension of the original training area, the area can be extended.
Speeding up the process If this process is too lengthy for your needs, it can be speeded up, but it is important to proceed cautiously. It is easier to take your time up front than to retrain a problem dog later. One way to successfully speed up house training is to praise and reward the dog each and every time it uses the established toilet area. It is also important not to punish the dog for mistakes. Punishment will only confuse the dog and slow down the house training process.
About the author:
Tony Robinson is an international author and dog lover. His website http://www.dogtraining4u.com contains valuable insights into the life of our canine friends.
Written By: Tony Robinson
How Dogs See the World: The Evolutionary Story of Color Vision Philadelphia Inquirer (blog) A dog takes a color vision test. He's trained to touch his nose to the color that's different from the other two, if he can tell. It's always fun for me to report these columns because I learn so much. This was one of the most interesting for me to ... |
 Sydney Morning Herald | Dogs' turn to shine Sydney Morning Herald For the Dogs, the trick was to a) get more of the ball, given they were trailing in the contested ball count by 16 at half-time, and b) find ways of their own to start kicking goals. They were better, from the first minute. Shaun Higgins hit the post. Dogs rally as the sun sets Six-day Dogs to do it again Western Bulldogs lap up cool win over Gold Coast Suns |
Keeping Your Family Safe From Dog Bites U.S. News & World Report SATURDAY, May 19 (HealthDay News) -- More than 4.7 million Americans are bitten by dogs each year, and more than half of those victims are younger than age 14, experts say. During National Dog Bite Prevention Week (May 20 to 26), the American Academy ... Help Prevent Dog Bites! |
More than 40 dogs seized from Hendersonville home BlueRidgeNow.com Three of the more than 40 dogs that were seized from a home on Oklahoma Avenue stand at Henderson County Animal Services on Saturday. By John Harbin More than 40 poodle and poodle mix-breed dogs have been seized from a home in Hendersonville after ... |
Lost Dogs-MN: Connecting Lost Dogs with their Owners Using Facebook Patch.com Stillwater resident Tammy Humphries helps reunite people with lost dogs as the administrator of the Lost Dogs-MN Facebook page. The site's popularity is growing rapidly, and now she's looking for a few volunteers to help out. By Mike Schoemer For years ... |