First Coast Pet

Posts Tagged ‘Housetraining’

The key to house training your puppy to make the transition from going to the bathroom on paper indoors to holding it and waiting until it can go outside is a bit of common sense and outdoor manners. Going from the papers to the outside means you need to carry your puppy to the right area. Little dogs can be easily carried outside, however you may need to get a carrier to transport bigger dogs if you do not have the strength. Once you have taken the dog outside without any accidents occuring and you are face to face with city block after block, where do you begin to go?

It should go without saying, that all areas frequented by people, including flower beds, children’s play area, city trees and other landscaping are all off limits. Letting a male dog lift his leg on somebody’s garbage can or other things that might be touched by humans is not very nice. Make sure you are properly prepared to invest a lot of time outdoors with your puppy potty training. A puppy who is scared will be unable to relax enough to go potty and also a distracted puppy may find too much stimuli prevents it from wanting to go outside too.

Can your pup focus enough amidst all the noise of traffic and people to ever learn to use the concrete? With training, yes. One technique for outdoor potty training sessions is known as ‘curbing’ and entails having your puppy do his business over a curb or into a gutter. Place the rear end of your puppy over the curb and let it do it’s business. Give gentle and somewhat quiet praise to your puppy while he is going then praise with exuberance afterwards. Just be aware that if you praise too much during the act, your puppy will get distracted and wriggly – not a good combination in mid-elimination.

When there is a mistake, don’t panic, just work on it next time and smile at people and pick up after your dog. You cannot drag the puppy away and reprimand him while he is still in the middle of going, rather just make certain he is in the correct location the next time. Make it become a habit and always praise your pup and eventually you will have success with your dog potty training. Life will be easier if you teach your pup to potty on cue. Once it’s about to start urinating or defecating, calmly say the cue words and praise your pup and after it’s done, praise it once again.

Other Training Options In The City

There are plenty of alternative potty areas for pet owners who live in urban settings that they may not even have considered like utilizing a fenced or walled off rooftop which may be more convenient than getting down to the street. Be sure the area is secured with a strong fence that pups can’t wriggle through. If there is a wall, you may want to keep the dog leashed to prevent the puppy from exploring the other side. A terrace is one other option that works well for larger dogs. Additionally, some buildings have a basement area or storage room that can double as a potty area, just choose a concrete or tiled area that’s easy to clean and hose off.

There are folks who have thought to put in gravel pits or fake and real grass strips on the patio for the puppy to use, but these certainly get soiled fast. You have to be very consistent with replacing the grass and cleanup when it is necessary to keep it clean enough so your dog will continue using them. The last point is to remember your neighbors as the smell can become pretty intolerant especially through the hot summer, so cleanliness is key. Dog house training, inside or out needs a little bit of time and patience, but it is well worth the effort.

When you start to train a young puppy having the right dog crate is essential. When you take your puppy home, it will be unable to cope with the whole area of your house and it will be calm and happy in the perfect sized dog crate. Dog crates are also a fantastic way to housebreak a puppy. A puppy is easily trained to use the papers in a dog crate and is an invaluable dog training tool.

If you housetrain a puppy using a dog crate, they are an excellent solution if your pup becomes overexcited, as it will calm down in a crate. All you have to do is put your puppy inside the crate in order to help it relax. If your dog has to be left in the house unattended for a few hours, then having a crate is a stress-free way for you to be gone from the house and not worry about your puppy getting into trouble around the home, or soiling the carpet.

The crate contains your puppy’s food bowl and it will eat and not be distracted. Simply put the food bowl inside where it can focus on eating its meal.

Dog Crate Training Tips

1. When buying your crate, make sure that you have the right sized one according to your dog’s height and width. Housebreaking your puppy depends on you having the correct sized crate. If the box is too large, then your puppy may use the bathroom on one side, but keep sleeping on the other side, which defeats the purpose of crate training in terms of potty training.

2. If you have a fast-growing puppy, then consider buying a large crate that is meant for an adult dog, but has a divider built into it. This way you can divide the crate in half so that your puppy will be able to lie down comfortably and still be able to turn around if needed. A divided dog crate can also be used for your larger puppy by removing the division bracket.

3. One last aspect of using a dog crate is the type of bedding that you place on the floor. Some dog owners have noticed that their puppies still use the bathroom inside, even though the crate is the appropriate size for potty training. In most instances it turns out that the bedding that they laid down was a little too thick and had a tendency to induce urination in dogs.

Older dog crate training is not a problem either. There is so much information available for training older dogs and again using a crate is an invaluable dog training tool. Any problems crate training can be rectified when you follow instructions on the house training or potty training of your dog.