Feb4
How to Housebreak a Puppy – Part 1
When it comes to housebreaking a puppy, you need to make sure to start potty training them right from the start. It’s easy to get caught up in their cuteness and the excitement of having a new pet, but you want to be sure to establish good habits with them right from the beginning or it could cause problems later on.
There are several methods for housebreaking a puppy. One is paper training, which I do not recommend, because you are basically teaching your puppy to pee inside your house on a puppy pad or on newspapers, and then later on, teaching them to potty outside. It’s much better to just teach them to go outside from the very beginning.
One other method is crate training. Crate training is very popular and very effective. Basically you get a crate from the pet store that is about the size of your dog’s bed. Dogs will typically not go potty in this area when they are in it because it is such a small space, they would be forced to lay on it or very close to it.
Whenever there is a time you can’t supervise your puppy, such as when you leave the house, or you are cooking, working, cleaning, working on crafts, etc. you place your puppy inside the crate. This way, they learn that if they need to go potty, their body is able to hold it. It makes them realize they don’t have to immediately go potty every time they feel the urge.
It’s important to get the right size of crate. If it’s too large, they may potty in it because of the extra space. If it’s too small, they will not be able to lay down and it will be very uncomfortable for them. They need to be able to lay down comfortably.
Here’s a tip that will be very helpful for you. You should teach your dog a ‘potty word’. No, not profanity! It is a word you use when you want them to go to the bathroom instead of playing around in the yard. Any word or phrase you want to use will work fine, as long as you are consistent with using the same word/phrase every single time.
To teach them this potty word, wait until you are outside and they are going potty. Right as they are finishing, say the potty word, then follow it up with lavish praise and a yummy treat. The better the treat, the better this will work.
Be sure that if you take them outside to play games or go for a walk, you don’t say this potty word. It needs to be something exclusive to them going to the bathroom, not a commonly used phrase you may accidentally say at some other time. Over time, you will be able to tell your dog the phrase and they will do their business immediately and rush back to you for their treat, rather than leisurely strolling around in the yard while you sit around and wait for them to potty.
Visit my website for more tips and tricks! I cover everything from paper training your dog to solving dog chewing problems at DogBehaviorExpert.com
categories: pets, dogs, puppy, dog training
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