House training is the first thing your new puppy must learn. The
toileting process a puppy learns in the first few months as a member of
your household will last a lifetime so it’s important to do it right the
first time. House training issues are the number one reason why dogs
are taken to animal shelters so let’s begin.
It’s important to understand that your puppy probably won’t be
completely trained until he’s about 6 months old. That’s because young
puppies lack the bladder and bowel control that they need to be reliably
left alone for long periods of time.
It is also important for you to be available to supervise your new puppy
but we all know that life happens. If you can’t be available for a
period of time, confine your puppy to a small puppy-proof room. The
entire floor should be covered with newspaper or some absorbent,
disposable material. At first, your puppy will go everywhere in the
room. As he gets older he will favor one area. Slowly reduce the area
covered in papers until the puppy eventually goes only on the toilet
papers. The floor in the puppy-proof room should not resemble other
floor areas in the house like carpet or hardwood. Once your puppy is
used to eliminating on a particular surface, he will want to eliminate
on that type of surface.
If you want to train your puppy to use only papers, your task is
complete. Most owners prefer for their dogs to eliminate outside so the
puppy-proof room should only be used when you aren’t home to supervise.
If your puppy spends time in a crate, which he should at first, you can
place papers in one area in the crate for your puppy to use. Dogs are
naturally very clean animals and they will do their best no to soil
their bed area. This really helps your puppy develop self control.
For puppies who are to be outdoor trained, take the puppy to his
designated toilet area every 45 minutes. When your puppy does his
business in his designated area, lavish praise on him. Don’t be afraid
to look like a fool when providing this praise. He is learning the most
important lesson in living in your household so go overboard with
praise.
Put your puppy on a consistent feeding schedule so you can anticipate
his needs. While he does need free access to clean, fresh drinking
water, don’t give him unrestricted access to food. Likewise, until he
is fully trained, do not give him the run of the house. One thing that
will greatly aid in this process is putting a collar and long lead on
your puppy and tying the other end of the lead around your waist. Your
puppy will like being close to you and he won’t have the opportunity to
make many mistakes.
That doesn’t mean that mistakes won’t happen. When they do, don’t
punish or reprimand him. He won’t understand the reason for the
punishment and he might become nervous or agitated. He might even think
he is being punished for eliminating at all. This could set your
training back rather than moving it forward.
The main thing you need for house training your puppy is patience and a
good sense of humor. Be calm and relaxed while being consistent in your
schedule and your puppy will be relaxed and calm while learning what he
needs to learn to become a well adjusted member of the family.
House training is the first thing your new puppy must learn. The
toileting process a puppy learns in the first few months as a member of
your household will last a lifetime so it’s important to do it right the
first time. House training issues are the number one reason why dogs are
taken to animal shelters.
