Tips On House Training A Puppy

By Author: Jeffrey Veal
Total Articles: 21
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The joy of owning a puppy and seeing it grow up is among the most gratifying experiences that a dog lover could ask for. In getting to know each other, the two of you will find out a lot of things about the other that will form a bond for a lifetime. One thing that must be accomplished first if you are planning on having the puppy stay indoors for any amount of time is housebreaking, or house training. Puppies have the capability to learn this right away. This is why it is so important to establish the correct house training routine while the puppy is at a young age. The house training routine that a puppy acquires can be difficult to break once it is established, so it is important to get it right the first time.

Watching the puppy during the initial house training phase is one of the most important things you can do. Keep a close eye on the puppy while at the same time observing the time. If it is a beautiful day outside, and your puppy is very active, taking him out more than once an hour is a good idea. He has to drink more water than he would if he were an adult dog due to his metabolism being so fast. Also, to feed ...
... this high metabolism, he must eat a lot more often. Just remember that all of this eating and drinking will make the puppy have to "go" more than normal.

You may want to try house training your puppy by using the paper method, which basically has the puppy using the bathroom on newspapers. Teaching your puppy to relieve himself indoors, then expecting him to make the transition to relieve himself outdoors will tend to confuse your young puppy. It will take longer and be more difficult to house train your puppy using this method, studies have shown. By teaching your puppy to "go" outside, he will learn that it is not acceptable to "go" in the house. Also, the puppy could get in the habit of relieving itself near the newspaper rather than on the newspaper. Just keep things consitent by having your puppy relieve himself only outside.

A very effective system that develops positive results is known as the "crate" system. You keep the puppy in a crate for about an hour, and then take the puppy outdoors so he can relieve himself. The crate system trains the puppy to "hold it" until he is given the chance to relieve himself in an area chosen by you. Why this system works so well is based on the puppy doesn't want to relieve himself in its living area. If you keep the puppy in the crate too long, it could cause him to relieve himself in the crate. If this happens, it can compromise this training technique.

Establishing good house training habits is an important first step in training a puppy. Being consistent and giving you puppy a lot of praise is an important part in house training your puppy. It is okay if the puppy has an accident during this training, because the process is not an overnight thing. By carrying the puppy outside more often, this should put an end to these accidents. Don't punish the puppy if he has an accident later on after training has ended. Merely return back to the training process temporarily and you'll be back on track in no time.