Most new dog owners don't look forward to the task of house training a puppy. It can be pretty confusing when you hear different advice from almost everyone you talk to.

Don't despair. I've got six tips that you can use to make the house training process a lot easier on you and your new puppy.

Tip #1: Have A Regular Feeding Schedule For Your Puppy

Some dog owners like the idea of free feeding their dogs. This means they leave a bowl of food out all day, letting their dog eat whenever he's hungry. While free feeding is convenient for you as a dog owner, it can create a problem when you're housebreaking a new dog. It's much easier to potty train a dog if you follow a schedule and feed him at the same time each day.

Dogs are like us. After eating, they usually need to go potty. With a consistent meal schedule, you'll have a lot more control over when he needs to go potty. This means a lot fewer accidents for your new puppy.

Tip #2: Follow A Consistent Potty Schedule

Even though your puppy will be going potty after his meals, you will also need to take him outside as often as you can throughout the day. Create a potty schedule above and beyond meal time, and follow it - taking your puppy out at the same time each day.

By following a potty break schedule, you'll remember to get your new puppy outside during the day. Puppies thrive on schedules because they give them a real sense of security. When they don't know what to expect from day to day, puppies become anxious. This anxiety can easily lead to digestive problems - and that makes the whole house training process much harder.

Tip #3: Pick a "Potty" Command To Use - Then Use It Every Time He Goes Potty

Pick a command word that you are comfortable using -- no matter where you are or who you're with. Here are a few common commands: "potty" "go potty" "go peepee" and "tinkle."

Once you decide on a command to use, you should say it every time you want your puppy to go potty. At first, don't ever say it until you are in the exact spot you want him to go. As he gets older, you'll be able to open the door and say "go potty" - or whatever command you are using- and he'll run over to the right place and go potty all by himself.

Tip #4: Never Scold Your Dog for Having An Accident

Almost every puppy has an accident while house training - some more than others. When this happens, always remain calm. Don't scold him - and whatever you do, never rub his nose in it. This is not just outdated advice it's also completely ineffective.

As with all dog training, positive reinforcement is much more effective than negative. Making your puppy feel bad when he makes a mistake doesn't work. You want to teach him that good things happen when he goes potty in the right place. Which brings us to the next potty training tip

Tip #5: Praise and Reward Him When He Gets It Right

Just as you would reward your puppy for sitting when you say "sit" - you should always reward him when he goes potty outside in the right place.

It's a good habit to combine sincere praise with some kind of reward. Rewards can be showing him love and affection, giving him a tasty treat, or spending a few minutes playing with him. Whatever you choose, it's vital that your puppy is rewarded immediately so he remembers that going potty means getting a reward.

To start, be sure to praise him verbally while he's actually going potty. Use a friendly, happy voice and say "Good boy! Good potty!" As soon as he's finished, immediately give him the reward. You can toss his favorite ball for a game of fetch, or if you're on a walk, bounce it and let him catch it. You could also give him a treat or belly rub.

Again, be sure to reward him immediately. Praise combined with affection, treats or play will make your puppy happy - and he'll soon associate going potty at the right time and place with happiness and joy.

Tip #6: Crate Training Your Puppy Means Less Accidents

Crate training is a topic all on it's own, but here is why you'd be smart to consider it when house breaking your puppy

When you crate train your puppy, you're able to kennel him when you can't watch him yourself. Dogs are den animals, and they don't like to soil their dens. This means your puppy will "naturally" wait until you've taken him out of his crate before he goes potty.

The key is to never leave your puppy in his crate for long periods of time - and to take him out to go potty immediately when you let him out. What's great is he will usually have to go potty when you let him out - and by taking him outside, he'll be doing it when and where you want him to!

Your new puppy will love you as much as you love him - maybe even more. These six potty training tips will help you quickly housebreak your new puppy. By giving him the proper training, he'll become a dog everyone will love being around.

Posted under Dogs

Housetraining your dog is the first things you should engage in upon adoption. Either having a new puppy or an older dog, there is no reason for you not to appropriately housetrain your beloved dog. Actually, every year, a lot of dogs are forced to look for new homes every time their current owners does not succeed in their housetraining duty and become weary of the dog having accidents in their home. But before you start, remember that it will take some time and tons of dedication for both of you, so you should promise to give your dog with the proper attention during this process.

*Time your training: Like people, a dog's bladder must fully develop before it can fully function. With this, puppies may be quick to have accidents at home for the reason that they cannot control it. On this instance, refrain from threatening, verbally abusing, or physically harming your dog. Normally, a puppy can control his bladder when he reach the age or four or five months, even though this age has been known to vary in smaller breeds of dogs.

*Skip Indoor Training: Earlier, dog owners are accustomed to first train their dogs to do their business indoors at a particular spot in the house, and then eventually move to outdoor training afterwards. However, this practice is no longer efficient and we can now skip indoor training and go straight to begin with outdoor training instead. It can sometimes be bewildering for a dog to be permitted to relieve himself indoors one instance, then scolded for not going outside the next time.

*Practice Confinement: Confining your dog to a safe and spacious area in your home can be a good technique on how to train him where to relieve himself whether left alone in the house or not. Rather than letting your dog to have free rein at your home, grant him with his own space that he can claim as "HIS". This will help you do the cleaning easier and much faster. If he begins to demonstrate typical bathroom behavior (such as frantic walking, whining, squatting, or sniffing), directly make an effort to bring him outside.

*Develop a Command: It is necessary to develop a command that your dog can easily understand or recognize. With this, you can control and order your dog to go outside to do his business when he needs to. This technique can make your life easier without compromising any scheduled task.

*Separate Tasks: Normally, going outside usually involves doing activities that can easily fascinate your pet, so dogs then are more focused on playing than doing the business at hand. Rather than letting your dog play during their bathroom trips, consider making changes on his outside surroundings. Let your dog wander in the entire yard particularly for the reason of relieving himself, then go back home and lavish him with praise and treats. Next, make another trip to let your dog to play. This separation of tasks will guarantee that your dog won't become preoccupied and hinder him from doing his business outdoors. Sooner or later, once your dog has fully adjusted with the setup, you can then change these double trips into a single one.

Posted under Dogs