Housebreaking Without Rubbing His Nose In It

Puppyhood is the “formative” period for your dog. What you teach him during this time will most likely stick with him the rest of his life. One of the most imperative things you will be teaching him is where to potty.

Probably the most helpful tip to ease both your pup’s stress and your own is to develop a routine early on in your pup’s life. You can start by accustoming your puppy to a sleep/eat/potty routine. Start by feeding your puppy around the same time every day, making time for frequent trips outside to potty. He will soon adjust his body to the routine.

If you can admit straight away that accidents will happen when it comes to your puppy, then you just may save a bit of sanity during the housebreaking process! You can help lessen accidents by storing some newspaper in a dedicated spot so that your pup can at least familiarize himself with going in one area if he can’t make it outside. This works particularly well if you don’t have a “doggy door” and your puppy relies on you to let him out.

The sooner you get to know your puppy’s “eat/potty” routine, the easier potty-training will become. A good rule to go by is to estimate that your pup will be ready for a trip outside around 15 - 20 minutes after he has been fed/watered. This rule works very well if you can manage to have your puppy outside the proper potty surroundings at the time you expect he needs relief.

Be sure that you separate “potty time” from “play time.” As it is natural for puppies to want to explore, you should only encourage them at the appropriate times. Nothing is more frustrating than to be up at 2 am with your little guy running around the yard for twenty minutes, only to potty as soon as you get back inside.

This period in your puppy’s life is a great one to start administering praise and discipline techniques. a lot of people prefer the terms “good boy/girl” and “no,” both of which can be still be said when your dog is an adult. Although puppies need a lot of repetition, routine, and firmness, remember that your puppy will soon grow up, so enjoy his puppyhood while you can!

Get more great tips like this at HelpYourPets.com - Puppy Steps and while you are training your puppy learn how to protect him from injury also.