Pet Partners
Understanding house training
by Carol Andrew
Helping your dog or puppy become reliably housetrained may seem like a challenge, but once you understand how your dog thinks and learn to convey the information he needs in a way he can understand, the job will be much easier.
Begin by choosing a place you want your dog to use for his bathroom. It could be a particular area in your yard or newspaper or potty pads in the bathroom or laundry room in your house.
Dogs and puppies have to go to the bathroom when they first wake up (whether it’s overnight or just after a nap), after they eat, and after vigorous exercise.
When your dog first wakes up, immediately take him to his potty area. Don’t just put him out, go out with him. As soon as he goes praise him and give him a treat—right there on the spot. If you go into the house to get him a treat, he will think he got it for returning to the house.
It’s helpful to take him to his spot on the leash so he won’t run around the yard and play, or run back to the house.
If you free feed your dog (leave his food down all the time) it will be much more difficult to housetrain him. (If he’s nibbling all day he will have to eliminate on an unpredictable schedule.) Feed adult dogs twice per day and puppies 3 or 4 times per day until they are 6 months old. Put the food down and leave it 15 minutes. If they don’t finish, pick it up.
Write down what time he eats and note how long afterwards he has to go the bathroom.
Teach your dog to ring a bell to let you know when he has to go to the bathroom. Hang a bell on a string from the door knob, put a little butter on it and show it to him. When he licks the butter the bell will ring, then praise him and open the door.
Supervise your dog closely until he is reliable. One way to do that is to attach the leash to your waist or your wrist (if he’s small).
When you can’t supervise him, put him in a safe area with a floor that’s easy to clean. If he’s a puppy he will need some newspapers or a potty pad if he has to be confined for more than a couple hours.
If your puppy or dog has an accident, clean it up with a good enzyme cleaner that was made for that purpose. If you catch him having an accident, clap your hands sharply or verbally interrupt him, then take him to his potty area. Let him walk there, don’t carry him.
If you don’t catch the puppy in the act, it will only confuse him to scold him after the fact. If that happens he just needs to be more closely supervised until he is reliable. Never rub his nose in a mess or spank him. You will create undesirable side effects.
If you have an adult dog who has been reliable and he or she begins having “accidents,” the first thing to do is have a veterinary check up to determine if there is a medical problem.
Male dogs who are not neutered will urinate in the house when there is a female dog in heat in the neighborhood. Unspayed female dogs will often urinate in the house when they are coming into season. Neutering and spaying can help solve that problem.
If you consistently follow this information your dog will soon be reliable.
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