Housebreaking an Older Dog

Sometimes you aquire a dog that whatever reason (perhaps spent too much time in a shelter) is not housebroken. It is possible to housebreak these dogs with love and above all, patience. First thing to remember is that dogs are not people, and when you show disapproval often you get the opposite outcome of whatintended.Your dog has done something natural for her by relieving herself when the need occured. I personally have experience with this very situation, but what makes mine espcially challnging is that I have a 15 year old dog with a weak bladder.Anyway, the following housebreaking principles can be applied to any dog. First off, is consistency and keep watch over the unhousebroken dog constantly, even if it means confining them to a certain section of the house. Being consistent in doing this is key. Often crate-training helps bcause a dog will never rlieve itself where he sleeps. Keeping him crated then letting him out (supervised) at scheduled times can help tremendously. Secondly, don't ever yell or scold the dog for relieving himself in the house. This will only lead to more mistakes. Instead use positive reinforcment. Giving a treat evry time he goes outside is one way of helping to build positive association with going outside. Verbal praise in a pleasing tone is also a way of using positive reinforcement. Make what you say short, but complimentary because a dog hears more of your tone than your words. In other words, don't say "you were such a good boy you went potty outsside instead of inside, now isn't thaat better?" No....too many words -- simply say "good girl," or "that's a good boy." Abd remember the tone. Lastly, as was mentioned before, do not punish -- and especially don't rub the dog's nose in it (literally). Remember that dogs want to please humans and getting angry and giving punishiment is a sure fire way to confuse the poor creature, make him unhappy, and will ultimately result in more of the undesired behaviors. .

Puppy Training Pads

Say you live in a small space, like an apartment, and aren't home enough to take your puppy/dog out regularly. Puppy training pads may be part of the answer. Most dogs can be housetrained easily if you start with the new tools available.Indoor training requires the same adherence to a strict schedule as outdoor training does, but you will be placing your pet on training pads or newspaper instead of going outside. Find a space away from your pet's eating and sleeping area that can be easily cleaned up. Cover a larger area than is needed - 3-4 square feet - with training pads. Reduce the area as tie goes on. Take your puppy there after each meal or drink of water and after each nap and also if he looks anxious or is circling the floor. Using verbal commands helps as does generous praise when the job is complete. Always correct with a firm voice if a mistake is made. Positive reinforcement is always better than punishment.

Housebreaking is so Hard to Do (but shouldn't be)

Housebreaking your new puppy is going to take patience. You should begin to housebreak as soon as you bring your new puppy home. Puppies need to relieve themselves approximately six times a day. A puppy should be taken out immediately after each meal since a full stomach puts pressure on the colon and bladder. A puppy is not physically able to control the muscle that allows him to "hold it" until he is about 12 weeks of age. Before this time, good housebreaking routines should be practiced to avoid having your puppy urinate and defecate all over your house. Watch for signs of urination or defecation, such as turning in circles. Take your puppy out often. Using a crate or confining your puppy to a small part of the house that has easy clean up floors are some ways to ensure your puppy does not urinate all over your house. It is much harder to housebreak a puppy if he smells is urine in places you do not wish him to relief himself.. Housebreaking Your New Puppy Housebreaking your new puppy is going to take patience. You should begin to housebreak as soon as you bring your new puppy home. Puppies need to relieve themselves approximately six times a day. A puppy should be taken out immediately after each meal since a full stomach puts pressure on the colon and bladder. Good housebreaking routines should be practiced to avoid having your dog urinate and defecate indoors. Watch for signs, such as turning in circles. Take your dog out often. Crate training or confining your puppy to a small area that has easy clean up floors can help your dog not urinate all over your house. It is much harder to housebreak if the dog smells urine in the places he shoudn't be "going." There are many different methods in which you can housebreak your pet. Whichever way you choose, it is important to understand your dog. They want to please so the trick is to make them understand what you want from them. Dogs don't think the way we do. When you are unhappy with your dog, he thinks that whatever it is doing at the exact moment you show disapproval is the thing that is upsetting you. For example, if your puppy goes to the bathroom on your floor and you show your disapproval too late, say 4 or 5 minutes later, he will think that the mess on the floor is bad. He will not realize the act of going on the floor is what you are angry at. The dog will do his business, see the mess and thus become worried that you are going to be unhappy. This is the reason so many dogs will relieve themselves in the same place contiunually and look really guilty about doing it, yet they continue to do it. More on this subject in future posts....