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Training your dog in housebreaking is fairly simple if you
follow a few steps. In this article I will go over the things
you'll need in order to be successful.
The first things you will need are a puppy, a crate, some
treats, a leash, and a enzymatic cleaner. A crate similar to the
one you would carry your dog in while traveling is perfect. You
may think placing your dog in a crate for this purpose is cruel,
but remember dogs are den animals, and like small enclosed
locations.
The dog will also not want to soil the area within the crate.
The exception to this are puppies purchased from pet stores,
which are allowed to soil their enclosed spaces. This is one
good reason you should avoid buying puppies at the pet store.
Buy a crate which is large enough to fit your dog when it is
grown, but block off certain parts of it with cardboard. If you
don't do this, the puppy will use the bathroom in one part of
the crate and sleep in another. You just want to leave enough
space for the puppy to rest comfortably.
If you can't watch the puppy, put him in the crate. Put toys and
things in there with him so it is comfortable and your dog
doesn't think you're punishing him. If he begins yelping, ignore
him until he becomes quiet before letting him out. If you take
him out when he yelps, he will think he can yelp whenever he
wants to leave.
Take the puppy out to relieve himself after every meal, and
after a large drink of water. You also want to take him out
after he has been playing vigorously. When the dog sniffs, runs
around in circles, or whines, that is a signal he needs to go
and relieve himself.
You may want to take him out every 30 minutes during the day and
every four hours at night until he can sleep through the night.
Make sure you place treats in the area where he wants to relieve
himself, and reward him when he does.
If he has an accident, don't yell at him. You can either take
him outside and reward him when he finishes or in some cases you
may want to hold his nose above where he used the bathroom so
that the smell will make him think twice about using the
bathroom there again. After a while he will begin to listen.
You must remember that puppies are babies, and it will take them
about 6 months before they can sleep through the night without
supervision. They will have to be a bit older before they are
able to be fully housebroken.
About the author:
Michael Colucci is a technical writer for Free Dog Training -
A site that offers free articles and resources on dog training.
(You are granted the right to reprint this article but the title
and content must remain unchanged and the authors name and
contact information must be included.)
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