The Secrets to Housebreaking a Puppy
Successfully housebreaking a puppy is perhaps on of the biggest challenges any dog owner faces. In order to successfully housebreak a puppy, dog owners need to be consistent and patient. A lot of the time new dog owners won’t have the patience required to train the puppy effectively and it will end up passing most of its time in the crate.
Dogs that are properly trained are also very happy dogs, usually these dogs have been shown love, attention and patience. If you use these three things mixed with the ability to be firm and consistent, you will house break your puppy much more quickly.
If you find that your dog has had an accident, one of the worst things to do is yell at him. On the other hand, you can’t just do nothing as this will result in your dog believe he is the Alpha dog. One useful thing to remember here is that dogs always avoid going to the toilet near where they sleep and eat. You can use this to your advantage when puppy training your dog by keeping it inside its crate when you are not there.
Crate training is the preferred method of housebreaking dogs by many leading dog trainers and dog owners. Crates provide just enough space for dogs to sleep and eat and over time will become one of your dog’s favourite places to just chill out.
Dogs need to go to the toilet at least a couple of times per day. In most cases they will need to go to the toilet immediately after waking up, and after meals. Get your dog into the habit of going outside after eating and after waking up. If you forget to take your dog outside, you may find he urinates inside the house.
For people who live in downtown apartments or places that don’t have outside space, paper training may be a more convenient way of housebreaking your dog. Paper training works by teaching your dog to always use the paper as his toilet spot. If you use paper training you’ll need to replace the paper each day.
As your dog gets used to his new toilet schedule he will begin to let you know when he needs to go. He may start running round in circles, scratching at the door, or barking to signal that he needs to go outside. If this happens, let him go outside, then reward him with a small treat for the good behaviour.