Puppy Potty Training - 5 Easy Steps
Before you give your puppy or dog away, try these 5 simple steps for puppy potty training that will make your life (and your dog’s life) easier - and your house cleaner. Puppy Potty Training Step #1 When you bring your puppy home, always keep one eye on the dog at all times and the other eye on whatever other task you may be involved with. If you cannot keep your eye on your pup at all times, then you must confine him to a crate. Why? Puppy Potty Training Step #2
How does keeping your puppy in a crate stop him from peeing and
pooping on your carpet, floor or bed? First of
all, the reason the dog pees and poops in your house is because
he is comfortable doing
so.
Every single time your dog pees
and/or poops in your house - be it accidentally or purposefully
- you must give him immediate strong correction.
Second, the crate acts as a deterrent from pooping in your house in that your dog sees his crate as a sanctuary, so he will wait to eliminate until you take him outside. Dogs don’t like to lie in their own poop. However, the crate must only be big enough for the dog to stand, sit and lie comfortably.
You have to be able to correct your puppy as
soon as he urinates or defecates in your
house. If you’re
not constantly watching him, or if you do not have him confined
to one area, you will not catch him in the act, nor will you be
able to correct his behavior. Puppy Potty Training Step #3 The third step of puppy potty training is that you should take your dog to eliminate in the same spot all the time. As soon as you see your dog getting ready to eliminate, quickly grab him up and take him outside to the predetermined spot. Then what? Then you give the command. What’s the command? Whatever you want it to be. “Get busy” is a good one. Lavish Praise is a Must As soon as your puppy eliminates in the predetermined spot, give him lavish praise. It is essential that you praise your dog when he behaves in a way that pleases you. Dogs are creatures of habit. By taking your dog to the same place to eliminate all the time, he will then associate that spot with the correct place to eliminate. He will also expect praise for it. Associating a command with his elimination also means that you can take him anywhere and give him the command to “get busy” and he will go wherever you want him to go. Puppy Potty Training Step #4 Puppy potty training step #4 is to buy an odor eliminator. Your dog’s urine will stay in your carpet if you use regular soap and water or some other form of detergent. Once your dog has marked his spot, he will continually go to eliminate in that spot. So that means you need to use an agent that completely removes and neutralizes the odor. Whatever you do, don’t use ammonia. A dog’s urine contains ammonia, so if you use ammonia, it is likely to encourage your dog to continue going on your carpet in that same spot – which is not what you want. Puppy Potty Training Step #5 Last, but not least, get your dog on a very strict and consistent feeding and drinking schedule. You must feed and water your dog the same time every single day. Doing so will make your dog have to go to the bathroom the same time every day. For some dogs, this means right after his meal. Other dogs may take longer. The trick is to watch your dog and time him after each meal. Then you’ll be able to anticipate when he wants to go do his business. If you don’t feed your dog on a consistent schedule, you’ll never know when he has to go to the bathroom, which is frustrating for you, because your house will smell of poop, and frustrating for your dog, because he will get corrective measures, which will be unpleasant for him. Have Him Potty Trained in 10-14 Days A small caution about unlimited and free access to water - unless your dog is 100% housebroken, I highly discourage you from giving your dog free and unlimited access to water. By following these 5 puppy potty training steps, you’ll be able to housetrain your dog in as little as 10 to 14 days.
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