As soon as your puppy arrives home, take her straight outside.
She will have had a lot of excitement with the trip in the car, all the unfamiliar faces, and sights and sounds.
She'll probably need to "go" straight away, so it's best that she's outside. It's better for saving your carpets and it's better to help her get the idea that this is something she'll be doing outside.
Show her what you expect:
- Take her to the corner or area of the yard that you have set aside as her toilet spot.
- Let her sniff around and have a good look. Don't play with her or pat her – this isn't a play area.
- When she begins to relieve herself, say the phrase you want her to associate with the toilet. It could be something like "toilet time", "potty time", or "go pee". Keep it short and use the same voice every time you say it.
- When she's finished, make a big fuss. Give her loads of praise and affection and a treat.
All this is fine out in the garden. But happens when it's time to take your puppy inside?
Crate Training For House Training a Dog
Crate training is a proven method of training a puppy to be house trained.
Crate training uses a small indoor kennel to confine your young puppy whenever you need her to be inside but are not actively supervising her.
Apparently dogs don't like to soil the area where they sleep. So by restricting your pup’s space she should hold on until she’s let out of the crate and you take her outside to her toilet area.
It's important that the crate isn't too big – or she'll decide she can spare a corner as a toilet and still sleep comfortably in the other.
It's also important not to leave your puppy in there too long.
What size crate?
A crate should be big enough for your dog to stand up in, turn around in, and stretch out in. As I mentioned above, if it’s too big she’ll just use one end as her toilet and no training will take place.
If you are handy and have time, you can make your own crate to suit the size of your puppy and make a new one each time your dog outgrows it.
Or you may like to buy a full sized crate and simply block off the excess space with wire mesh or a piece of board.
Crate House Training a Dog
Here’s how to use the crate to effectively house train your puppy:
- Your puppy is in the crate all the time unless she’s sleeping, eating, outside going to the toilet of being played with.
- You need to be consistent. Don’t lose track of her and let her wander off around the house unsupervised.
- Remember, every time she relieves herself somewhere in the house, she gets the idea that it’s easy and gets her lots of attention.
Your day might go something like this:
- 7am - Wake up. Puppy comes outside with you for a toilet break.
- 7:25 - Breakfast time.
- 7:45 - Back outside for another toilet break (accompanied by you, of course.)
- 7:50 to 8:45 - Play-time! Puppy is out of the crate being actively played with, cuddled, etc.
- 8:45 - Outside for another toilet break.
- 8:50 to 11am - Puppy goes back in the crate for a nap
- 11 am - Puppy comes outside with you for a toilet break.
- 11:05 to 12:30 - Playtime! Puppy is out of the crate being played with and petted.
- 12:30 - Lunch time.
- 12:45 - Puppy comes outside with you for a toilet break.
- 1pm to 3:30 - Puppy goes back in the crate for a nap.
- … And so on throughout the day.
Crate training can take around one to two months. It varies depending on the breed of your dog and how much time you are able to spend on the training process.
As your puppy grows older, you will be able to reduce the amount of time spent in the crate. Watch your dog closely to make sure you haven’t done this too soon.
How to Manage Crate Training
Expect your puppy to be unhappy when you first put her into the crate. It‘s going to take her a while to get used to it. She’d rather be outside running around, or being cuddled and patted, or just following you around. But it’s for all your sakes, you're house training a dog, so hang in there. In a short time she’ll be used to it.
Set the crate up in the busiest part of the house. Probably the kitchen or wherever people are mostly about. The idea is not to isolate her, just to control her instinct to relieve herself.
Make the crate comfortable and welcoming. Lay soft blankets or towels down on the floor, pop in some toys and some chews. Leave the door open so she can go in whenever she wants – although, naturally the door is shut when she’s meant to be in there.
The Facts About House Training A Dog
Ever had your toddler turn to you in the supermarket and wail, “Mom, potty!” and before you’ve even had time to register what they’ve said there’s a growing puddle at their feet?
Puppies are the same. It's best to remember when house training a dog that their bladders and bowels are small and still toning up, so there’s only a short amount of time between knowing they need to go and actually going.
So, take your pup outside as soon as she wakes up and within ten minutes of eating or playing.
You may be able to tell she needs to go if she is sniffing the ground and circling. React immediately as you won’t have much time.
How Long Should My Puppy Be In Her Crate?
Use the following equation: take her age in months and add one. So a three month old puppy can be crated for a maximum of four hours. Personally, I hate the thought of a puppy being cooped up for that long. It’s got to have a knock-on effect in other areas of her development.
So, let’s say that you let her out every two hours for some good quality, affectionate play – and a toilet break, of course! If she’s asleep, don’t wake her up. Just keep an eye on her and as soon as she’s awake and has been in there more than 2 hours, let her out.
This information and advice comes courtesy of The Ultimate House Training Guide.
It goes into all the detail you need for house training a dog, as well as a great deal of useful information on canine behavioral problems and the most effective training techniques.
The guide also comes with a heap of useful freebies on dog care and training. Naturally there is a 60 day money back guarantee so you can’t lose.
Click here to visit The Ultimate House Training Guide site.
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