You just brought your puppy home and he or she is more than cute and you just know she could never do anything wrong. That is until you leave the room and when you come back your cute little angel used your new carpet as her bathroom. Some owners expect their puppy will automatically know where the bathroom is and will let you know when they have to “go.” But you have to house train your sweet darling.
If you get angry and scream, you will only scare your dog so that he or she will not go the bathroom in front of you. Instead, your puppy will find a hiding place to use inside your home.
Instead, you can house train your dog in three steps, but you have to be consistent.
Step one – decide where you want your puppy to potty. If it is in the yard, then you need to take him to the area several times a day.
Keep in mind that puppies that are less than six months cannot hold their bladders for long periods of time. In fact, very young puppies can only hold their bladders for about 2 to 3 hours so you can expect to take your little puppy outside often, including during the night.
Step two – you need to get into a routine because dogs learn best by repetition. If you take your puppy out to potty after he eats, sleeps, plays and drinks, he or she will become accustomed to knowing when they need to go.
Moreover, they will learn faster where they are supposed to potty, and you will have fewer accidents than if you are just taking the puppy outside when you remember. It’s important to establish a routine.
Step three – praise your puppy when they do their business in the right area. This will help them associate that what they just did pleased you and they want to please you.
Keep in mind, in the early days of house training, there will be accidents, you can count on it. But do not slap or spank your puppy. They do not understand this and will learn to fear you.
Also, never rub his or her nose in their urine because this will confuse them even more since they do not understand this concept.
Therefore, to house train your puppy, you need to know where you want him or her to go, be consistent with a routine, and praise your puppy when he or she goes in the right area.
Making sure you take your puppy out enough, in the beginning, is key to fast house training.
Your puppy will quickly associate elimination with one particular area and when she is praised for it, she feels proud. And because she wants to continue pleasing you, she will continue using the area and then begin letting you know when she needs to go.
Kelly Marshall is a featured author on Oh My Dog Supplies. For more articles by Kelly visit Oh My Dog Supplies.