The term one uses to encourage his or her dog to relieve itself, whether it be "bathroom," "potty," "go wee wee," or any other term the owner wants, is not important. Performance of the desired action is what counts.
I never had trouble housebreaking my eight-week-old puppy. She only had three accidents in the house, and only one was large enough to be a job to clean. Here is what I did.
Well before the night I brought her home, I understood what I would be getting into. So that night, I placed my puppy in a comfortable, confined space (using a towel-lined crate at first, a playpen and kennel later), for instinctively, animals do not want to mess where they sleep.
Then I set my alarm. Every two hours she had to go, so I kept setting my alarm and whisking her out automatically when it went off. I praised her well when she promptly relieved herself on the grass. After about four days, she caught on and started whimpering when she needed to go out.
You should be prepared to get up on "baby's" schedule, which generally means about every 2 hours at 2 months of age, every 3 hours at 3 months, then increasing to about 6 hours by the end of 4 months. If you are lucky, you may have a pup who essentially sleeps through the night by then.
You have to keep this schedule up during the daytime as well. If you work during the day, then someone needs to come let the little guy out. NEWS FLASH! Puppies, like toddlers, cannot hold it! How can you expect success in house training a dog if you do not give the poor thing the opportunity to go in the right place at the time of need?
It is no wonder to me that many owners have trouble with puppy potty training, because they take them out during the day but leave them through the night . . . until they can clean up the mess in the morning. The puppy gets mixed messages. They are creatures of habit and INSTINCTIVELY use the same spot again!
If you are over-worked and cannot handle the physical stress of getting up throughout the night as any new pet owner or new parent must, then get an older, trained dog. It's much better to save your money to buy a dog who is professionally trained already, both to save your carpets and to save yourself from great frustration!
A question I am frequently asked is: "Should I spank my puppy when he has an accident?" My answer is, "ABSOLUTELY!" . . .He needs to know there are consequences. BUT, here is HOW.
Puppy squats – Grab him up gently and whisk him out. Do not be scolding him then. When he finishes his business outside, express your pleasure, such as "Good potty!" and bring him back inside.
Next, walk up to the soiled spot and hit the ground right by it, sternly saying something such as: "WHAT IS THIS? . . . BAD POTTY!" You are yelling at the accident itself, not even looking at the puppy. Keep repeating this until the pup comes over to see what the fuss is all about. Then swat his rear or nose with one hand firmly, but NOT hard. He will understand what he did wrong.
The pup will slink away. Be sure he is out of sight, then blot up the urine. Next take white vinegar and water and clean up the accident spot. The vinegar both removes stains and kills odor. It is especially important that a male dog not see you cleaning up the spot. They do not need to see you as a personal maid!
If you also have an older dog in the house, it can be a helper or a distraction in puppy potty training. If the older one helps, that's great. However, if he is a distraction, here is what to do: Take the pup out separately for 3 days to a week, then try letting the two dogs out together.
Still distracted? Keep trying. With patience and persistence, your puppy potty training efforts WILL WORK!
It's a joy to have a puppy around. A puppy is cute, furry and squiggly all at the same time. However, taking in a new puppy would mean more responsibility for you as its care taker. That alright anyway a lot of people say that potty training a pet is easiest when they are young. Unlike if you are training an adult, there are some behaviors that need to be unlearned. So how exactly do you train your puppy? First, timing and routine are important. You need to setup a regular schedule for your little dog. How do you do that? Read more for you to know how to potty train your puppy.
We shall start by understanding the basics. One thing to note; a new-born is not ready for potty training. The ideal age would be three months.
First Rule: Remember to keep your puppy's meal on a regular schedule. You can take your pet out after he is done with his meal. You can also take out your pet after nap, before his bedtime, or when he whimpers during the night.
Second Rule: Do not overfeed your pet while taking him for a walk. Only feed and give your puppy a little water. As much as possible, do not give water to your puppy two hours before sleeping. Trust me, it will save you the trouble of having to wake up in the middle of the night to clean up unnecessary mess.
Third Rule: Your puppy must be tired after playing around. Therefore, you should bring it out on a walk on a leash. This would give your puppy a hint that it's time to relieve himself.
Fourth Rule: You should try to bring your puppy to the same spot to relieve itself. This way your puppy can recognoze the area and will try its best to relieve itself at the same spot.
Fifth Rule: You can use a word that would cue your puppy to relieve himself on your command. They will recognize that specific word as a command soon enough.
Last: I am sure you like to be praised. Therefore, you should reward or praise your puppy if he relieves himself outside or followed your instructions on potty training.
Accidents are bound to happen. Therefore these are the best suggestions I can offer you.
If you caught your pet in middle of relieving himself, don't scream or yell. Gently nudge your pet to go outside and after this continue the reward thing by praising your puppy.
Let's face it you won't be around all the time, so when you see some of the mess your puppy has left, just keep your cool and clean up then continue training your puppy with the routine you have made up. When cleaning your puppy's wastes, make sure to clean it thoroughly so that it won't leave any smell that may induce your puppy to relieve on that same spot again. After this, you can also put the soiled cleaning materials outdoors or where your puppy usually relieves himself, making it easier for your pet to recognize where he should go in the future.
So, there you have it. All you need to do now is to stick to the routine that you have drawn out for your puppy. Trust me, with some patience you puppy will be very well discipline. Good luck!
Both Rena Murray & Joseph Then are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Rena Murray has sinced written about articles on various topics from Pets, Rottweiler Dogs and Flirting Tips. NEED MORE HELP with your puppy or mature dog? Go to and ask Dog Obedience Trainer – Dog Behaviorist, RENA MURRAY. Available for individual. Rena Murray's top article generates over 60500 views. to your Favourites.
Joseph Then has sinced written about articles on various topics from Debts Loans, Information Technology and Digital Camera. Owning a dog is both a joy and challenge. Potty training is only one of the challenges. You need to traing your dog well so that you can enjoy its presence. Check out our. Joseph Then's top article generates over 5000000 views. to your Favourites.