Puppy Housetraining For Your New Puppy or Dog

When initiating puppy housetraining, always keep in mind that until a puppy is 7 months old, its control over excretory functions is extremely limited. At least once per hour and possibly more often, it will have to relieve itself. After playing, eating and sleeping your puppy will have the urge to use its bowels. By keeping your puppy confined to a relatively small area lined with papers, it will not have the opportunity to make a mistake and necessitate a verbal reprimand. A puppy likes to keep its own bed clean and as a result will soil as far away as possible.

Take this cue and after it naps, eats or plays, place your pup on its papers, or outside in the yard. After your pup has successfully soiled where you have placed it, lavish it with sincere praise. Unconvincing praise doesn’t fool anyone, not even an eight week old puppy. People who have a limited house area, such as apartment dwellers, seem to be more successful due to necessity. It is not important where you live, the same rules apply to your dogs potty training.

If the puppy is allowed to roam the house, be sure it is carefully supervised. Taking your pup out to the yard, or onto its papers has to be quick, if you see it lowering its head, sniffing and circling. When it relieves itself, praise is in order. However, if, through your fault, it has an accident, no spanking or rubbing its nose in it. A pup has a memory of a couple of seconds and if it soiled ten minutes before, it cannot relate your anger to its action that long ago and will not be able to understand why you are angry.

The action of rubbing a dog’s nose in its soil may create a problem of it eating stools and reinfesting itself with parasites. By all means show your pup what it has done, scold it and place it on the papers. Remember, the accident was your fault for not supervising it properly, or not being aware of its warning signals. Clean and disinfect the soiled area thoroughly to remove any odour, otherwise your pup will seek out this spot again. Having the freedom of the whole house is the biggest disadvantage you have in teaching your puppy potty habits and you could end up with real housetraining problems.

Paper training an older dog is generally not required. Take an older dog outside after meals, naps first thing in the morning and last thing at night. No matter what age your dog is, praise should never be forgotten when it does the right thing. They are the simple rules to puppy housetraining as your dog only wants to please you, its leader, and you show how pleased you are with praise, love and affection.