Housebreaking your puppy is the most important training you must provide for your puppy. Dogs are pack animals and they do keep to a schedule. Therefore, it is important to try to keep them on the same routine every day. Having your puppy trained will keep both you as the human and the puppy happy.

How Old Should My Puppy Be To Start Housebreaking

The ideal age to start housebreaking your puppy is 8 to 12 weeks.

Crate Training

Dog trainers suggest using a crate in housebreaking your puppy. A crate is like a cage, with see-through bars and a locking door. Its size should accommodate well the dogs size for it to move around in. It should be used like a dog's bedroom. It is advised to not confine your puppy in his crate for more than two hours at a time.

The reasoning behind using a crate in housebreaking your puppy is that dogs will not dirty their sleeping areas. However, he may do so if you lock him in somewhere for longer than he can hold it in. Never use a crate to punish your dog, it will backfire. Generally, pups that are three-months old must eliminate every 3 hours, so you should lead him to a special outdoor comfort place more often.

Get Your Puppy Used To Routines

When the training has progressed he will scratch on the door to let you know when he needs to go out. Therefore, during the training process be sure to use the door you want him use.

Taking your pup out at around the same times every day will be very beneficial for the both of you. This will help in establishing a routine, and will make him learn to hold it in until you become available to take him out.

It Is Your Responsibility To Look For Clues

If your puppy is left to roam around the house and you catch him in the act, stop him immediately and get him outside to finish his business. Always praise him when he does something good. Dog's love to please their owners. Praising him will go along way.

Patience is a Big Virtue

If you want the housebreaking to go as quickly and smoothly as possible, you as the dog owner, must have patience. In time it will come.

Common Sense Goes A Long Way

Common Sense will help you and your dog while housebreaking. Stick to a routine, do not give him water before bed, to not ignore the clues.

Housebreaking your puppy requires patience, consistency and a big commitment. Stick to it and you will succeed.

Best of luck!

Posted under Dogs

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