Potty Training
Doodles of Autumn Hills
House Training:
You can house train your puppy in a few short weeks if you
invest the necessary time. Here are some suggestions to make
this important training period a success.
Buy a puppy yard and during the first few weeks, keep your
puppy in it whenever you are not playing, holding, or
watching him explore his new surroundings. Spend as much
time as you can with your pet, but when you can't watch him,
crating him can prevent mistakes from occurring. In addition
to providing the safe, secure refuge your dog needs and wants,
crates are critical to house training because as den animals,
dogs are naturally inclined to not soil their bed. The most
important thing house training dogs learn in a crate is that
they can control their urge to eliminate until the proper time
and situation.
Establish a schedule and don't deviate from it. "when" and
"how" you house training needs to be consistent so make sure
all family members follow the same guidelines. Pick a soiling
spot in your yard and take your pup there on a lead when it is
time to eliminate. The odor from previous visits to this spot
will stimulate the urge to defecate and/or urinate. Many new
owners confuse their pup by using different words for the
same command. In the house breaking process, it is a good idea
to use the same word like "outside" every time you take the
puppy out to eliminate. Consistent use of a word with an
activity will help to build a level of communication between
you and your pup. Later, while you are watching television
and notice your pup staring at you, you can say the word
"outside" and your pup will go to the door.

Be patient. Dogs may urinate or defecate more than once in
one outing, and not always right away. Don't distract your
pup from the job at hand. This is a business trip, not a social
time.

Praise them for their success when the job done but don't over
do it. Just patting them across their shoulders a few times
will do the trick. In a dogs language, that means more than
constant rubbing across the head or repeating " good dog!".
Some people prefer to use a consistent phrase when the pup
eliminates such as "Do your stuff!" The pup soon learns this is
a signal to eliminate, which is very useful when traveling or
when time is short.
Potty Training