House Training
When it comes to house training, you need to be consistent and firm. Timing is key. Your dog will not understand if you correct him for something he did hours or even minutes before. You must catch him in the act for the training to work.
Watch your dog very carefully when house training. If the dog seems like he has to go out (sniffing, scratching, circling, or squatting) say, "No!" and immediately get him outside. Then praise him when he has done his business.
If you come home to a mess, simply clean it up and wait for an opportunity to show the dog the correct behavior.
Watch your dog very carefully when house training. If the dog seems like he has to go out (sniffing, scratching, circling, or squatting) say, "No!" and immediately get him outside. Then praise him when he has done his business.
If you come home to a mess, simply clean it up and wait for an opportunity to show the dog the correct behavior.
Stick To It
A few weeks without a mistake doesn’t mean that your dog is completely house trained; it means your routine is working. Stick to the schedule for as long as possible. A regular schedule will be helpful throughout the dog’s life time.
Keys to House Training Success
Supervision
When it's inside, you want to keep your dog to a small area, such as a crate or a section of the home which has a non-absorbent floor in-case of accidents. A dog will get used to it and even come to regard it as its private place. Many dog owners will keep a crate even when their dog is house trained, but leave the door open so the dog can go back and forth inside. That allows the dog to have him own special place where he can retreat and get some peace and quiet.
Praise
As with other training procedure, praise is very important. When your dog does eliminate outside, make a big deal out of it. Praise her lavishly. Dogs want to please their owners; if it knows that eliminating outside makes you happy, it will make and effort to do it again.
Feeding Schedule
In order to house train a dog properly, your dog must be given the same brand of dog food on a regular schedule. If the food doesn't agree with your dog or over feeding occurs, it can result in loose diarrhea or excessive urination.
Do not switch the dog's food suddenly, if you do it will result in stomach upset. If you wish to change brands, gradually mix the new food with the old food until the dog's stomach is settled. If you find that it's leaving food in the bowl, it means that it's getting too much food, so you should give it less. If it's going to the bathroom excessively, it may mean the same thing.
Outside Schedule
Dogs who are not house trained should be taken outside often. The more access your dog has to the outside world, the less the chances are that it’ll have an accident in the house. Schedule daily outside time and stick to it.
Your first priority in the morning will be to get the dog outdoors. Just how early depends more on your dog than on you. Once your dog expects a morning walk, there will be no doubt on your mind when it needs to go out. You will also very quickly learn to tell a dog’s “emergency” signals. Do not test the puppy’s ability for self control.
Crate Training
Some people keep their dogs in a crate after feeding them. A crate comes in handy during house training because dogs don't like to relieve themselves in their dens. Puppies under six months of age shouldn't stay in a crate for more than three hours. They can't control their bladders for that long. The same goes for adult dogs that are being house trained. Make sure your dog's crate is just large enough for it to stand up and turn around in.
When it's inside, you want to keep your dog to a small area, such as a crate or a section of the home which has a non-absorbent floor in-case of accidents. A dog will get used to it and even come to regard it as its private place. Many dog owners will keep a crate even when their dog is house trained, but leave the door open so the dog can go back and forth inside. That allows the dog to have him own special place where he can retreat and get some peace and quiet.
Praise
As with other training procedure, praise is very important. When your dog does eliminate outside, make a big deal out of it. Praise her lavishly. Dogs want to please their owners; if it knows that eliminating outside makes you happy, it will make and effort to do it again.
Feeding Schedule
In order to house train a dog properly, your dog must be given the same brand of dog food on a regular schedule. If the food doesn't agree with your dog or over feeding occurs, it can result in loose diarrhea or excessive urination.
Do not switch the dog's food suddenly, if you do it will result in stomach upset. If you wish to change brands, gradually mix the new food with the old food until the dog's stomach is settled. If you find that it's leaving food in the bowl, it means that it's getting too much food, so you should give it less. If it's going to the bathroom excessively, it may mean the same thing.
Outside Schedule
Dogs who are not house trained should be taken outside often. The more access your dog has to the outside world, the less the chances are that it’ll have an accident in the house. Schedule daily outside time and stick to it.
Your first priority in the morning will be to get the dog outdoors. Just how early depends more on your dog than on you. Once your dog expects a morning walk, there will be no doubt on your mind when it needs to go out. You will also very quickly learn to tell a dog’s “emergency” signals. Do not test the puppy’s ability for self control.
Crate Training
Some people keep their dogs in a crate after feeding them. A crate comes in handy during house training because dogs don't like to relieve themselves in their dens. Puppies under six months of age shouldn't stay in a crate for more than three hours. They can't control their bladders for that long. The same goes for adult dogs that are being house trained. Make sure your dog's crate is just large enough for it to stand up and turn around in.
Negative Associations
Never use your dogs name in a negative way, especially when correcting him. If you do, he may start to associate him name with punishment, and he will not respond to it positively and will start ignoring you when you call.
Same with crate training. If your dog has already gone potty in the wrong area and you correct him and put him in a crate, it will associate the crate with punishment and less of a safe place.
This is especially important later in training, when you are teaching her basic obedience commands, such as coming when called.
Accidents Will Happen
Remember, if the dog has an accident, it means that he was not supervised well enough or wasn’t taken outside in time. If you catch your dog in the act, don’t yell or scold him. Simply say “No!” loudly, which should startle and stop the dog. Pick it up and go outside. Praise the pup for finishing outside. If you scold or punish it you are teaching him that you think going potty is wrong. Your dog will then become sneaky about it, and you will find more puddles and piles in strange places. Don’t concentrate on correction; emphasize the praise for eliminating in the right place.
Mistakes will happen, especially in the beginning. But with the proper training and lots of practice, every dog can be house trained. Be patient! Remember going through something similar yourself? Your parents kept their patience.
Mistakes will happen, especially in the beginning. But with the proper training and lots of practice, every dog can be house trained. Be patient! Remember going through something similar yourself? Your parents kept their patience.