Dog Care - Housebreaking Your Puppy

Working 8 hours a day and housebreaking a puppy is not as hard as you may think. In this article we will discuss things you can do to help you with housebreaking your puppy and working a full time job.

Crate Training

This is, without a doubt, one of the first essential steps in training your puppy and an exercise our puppy needs to master in their early days. It can be an effective means of housebreaking your puppy. However, many people misunderstand the proper methods of crate training and the benefits it will bring. Your dog will see their crate as their space, their sanctuary, and their escape from the very odd human world.

Crate Size

Before you start on this training exercise it is important to consider what size of crate to buy. The crate needs to be big enough to see your puppy through from their early days to their full size. Bear in mind though that if it's too large, your pet may end up using one end as their 'Business' area. Some crates offer divider panels to expand the size as they grows. Choose one large enough to stand, comfortably turn, and sprawl.

Evening

Crate Training through the night can be a difficult task, don't worry. When housebreaking a puppy be mindful that they will need to "go" as soon as they see you in the morning. It is very difficult for a puppy to hold his bladder until they are around 9 months of age.

Make Arrangements

While crate training is excellent for housebreaking puppies, do not leave your dog confined in a small area for too long. If your work allows, try to make arrangements to come home during your lunch hour to allow your it to relieve himself. Also there are even services you can hire to provide this. A pet 'holding it' all day can cause bladder and kidney problems.

When Supervised

While crate training your dog, it's a good idea to leave the door open so your pet will not be confined to a closed area. Generally, in addition to housebreaking puppies, you are creating a safe place where your pet will feel comfortable sleeping.

Accidents

Don't make crate training a punishment. If your dog does their 'business' in the house, make a loud, surprised sound take them outside. Avoid shouting "NO!" for this routine as they might associate it as something bad. Be sure to give exaggerated praise when your pet 'goes' outside in the regular chosen area, so they will learn that there is a good thing.

Cleanliness

Their crate is their space, but there will be some jobs you'll need to do on their behalf. Regular cleaning and disinfecting will protect your dog from illness and you home from unwanted smells.

Hopefully this has given you some ideas on how to housebreak your puppy and still keep your day job.

Copyright (c) 2007 Mendy Stern

Whether you are looking into housebreaking an older dog, or housebreaking a puppy, old school dog housebreaking tips should not be used. These tips are outdated. When your puppy eliminates where he should not, never put his face in his own mess. Puppies are too young to understand what you are trying to tell them and this only causes fear. The golden rules for housebreaking dogs are consistency and praise for good behavior. Punishing your dog for poor behavior is usually ineffective. Here are tips for housebreaking a puppy. These tips can be useful for housebreaking an older dog as well.

DO:

* Take your puppy out every two hours as well as after eating, waking, playing and before bed-time.
* Pick your puppy up and take him to his place of elimination. Stick to the same place.
* Allow your puppy to eliminate multiple times during one outing to avoid unwanted accidents later.
* If you catch your puppy eliminating where he should not, clap your hands, pick him up and bring him where he should eliminate. Then say, "you potty here".
* Verbally praise and offer your puppy a treat immediately after he eliminates where he should.
* Keep a very close eye on your puppy so that you catch him in the act if he eliminates where he should or should not.
* Utilize training tools such as the UGODOG puppy potty.
* Utilize potty pads enhanced with pheromones to encourage usage.
* Utilize obedience-training class to help with housebreaking.

DON'T:

* Punish him when he has an accident. He cannot connect his unwanted behavior with the punishment. He will think eliminating all together is "bad".
* Praise your puppy when he eliminates where he should if you have not seen him eliminate. Your puppy will not associate his proper behavior if he is not praised immediately.
* Give treats other than when your puppy eliminates where he should. If he gets treats for no reason, he will not associate treats with proper behavior for proper elimination.

Housebreaking a puppy should be based on prevention rather than punishment. A key to housebreaking a puppy or dog for that matter is close supervision. In just a matter of seconds your puppy can have an accident, so to help prevent that from occurring you should watch for signs that your puppy needs to potty. If your puppy starts to run in circles, sniffing at the door or suddenly runs out of site, that he/she is trying to let you know it’s potty time.

Another way that helps in housebreaking a puppy is keeping his diet consistent. High quality premium brand dry puppy food is a better choice that canned food or table scrapes. If you need to change his food for any reason try and do it gradually over a period of 5-8 days, gradually increasing the amount of new food each day. Remember, the more changes you make the more difficult housebreaking your puppy will be.

During the day when your puppy can not be supervise I highly recommend your puppy or young dog be kept in a crate or a small confined area. If done properly crate training is a safe and very effective way of housebreaking a puppy. In order for the crate to be used in housebreaking a puppy it should not be used for long periods of time or for punishment.

This my sound like common sense but puppies need to urinate soon after they eat, drink water or sleep, those having troubles housebreaking a puppy tend not to think about that. Another thing that is over looked is the fact that most puppies over 13 weeks of age will need to go 8 or 10 times a day.

So, keep a record of your puppies potty times for a few days. The secret to housebreaking a puppy is figuring out the amount of time between potty times and subtracting about 15 – 20 minutes. For housebreaking a puppy we call the “Safety Zone”. By doing this we can figure out how long our little puppy can be trusted to hold out after his last potty break.

Another trick to housebreaking a puppy is not setting him up to fail, what I mean by this not allowing him access to areas carpeting, rugs, ect. Puppies like certain areas to do their business, when you find one (or he does), make a note of it and try and keep him away from it.

When your little angel does have an accident despite his best intentions use a neutralizer with an enzyme based deodorizer to clean the area…there are a number of pet safe products available and should be added to your housebreaking kit.

One area that is overlooked is submissive peeing, it is completely involuntary and scolding your puppy for it will do more harm than good and should be avoided at all cost.

The last thing you need to do when housebreaking a puppy is to use lots of praise. Find a trigger word both you and your puppy can live with and use that in combination with praise and rewards as soon as your puppy potties ( I use “go potty”). This positive reinforcement lets your puppy know that you’re pleased with him and he’ll try even harder to please you.

Those are just a few of the tips for housebreaking a puppy. I hope this helps both you and your puppy.

Housebreaking a puppy should be based on prevention rather than punishment. A key to housebreaking a puppy or dog for that matter is close supervision. In just a matter of seconds your puppy can have an accident, so to help prevent that from occurring you should watch for signs that your puppy needs to potty. If your puppy starts to run in circles, sniffing at the door or suddenly runs out of site, that he/she is trying to let you know it’s potty time.

Another way that helps in housebreaking a puppy is keeping his diet consistent. High quality premium brand dry puppy food is a better choice that canned food or table scrapes. If you need to change his food for any reason try and do it gradually over a period of 5-8 days, gradually increasing the amount of new food each day. Remember, the more changes you make the more difficult housebreaking your puppy will be.

During the day when your puppy can not be supervise I highly recommend your puppy or young dog be kept in a crate or a small confined area. If done properly crate training is a safe and very effective way of housebreaking a puppy. In order for the crate to be used in housebreaking a puppy it should not be used for long periods of time or for punishment.

This my sound like common sense but puppies need to urinate soon after they eat, drink water or sleep, those having troubles housebreaking a puppy tend not to think about that. Another thing that is over looked is the fact that most puppies over 13 weeks of age will need to go 8 or 10 times a day.

So, keep a record of your puppies potty times for a few days. The secret to housebreaking a puppy is figuring out the amount of time between potty times and subtracting about 15 – 20 minutes. For housebreaking a puppy we call the “Safety Zone”. By doing this we can figure out how long our little puppy can be trusted to hold out after his last potty break.

Another trick to housebreaking a puppy is not setting him up to fail, what I mean by this not allowing him access to areas carpeting, rugs, ect. Puppies like certain areas to do their business, when you find one (or he does), make a note of it and try and keep him away from it.

When your little angel does have an accident despite his best intentions use a neutralizer with an enzyme based deodorizer to clean the area…there are a number of pet safe products available and should be added to your housebreaking kit.

One area that is overlooked is submissive peeing, it is completely involuntary and scolding your puppy for it will do more harm than good and should be avoided at all cost.

The last thing you need to do when housebreaking a puppy is to use lots of praise. Find a trigger word both you and your puppy can live with and use that in combination with praise and rewards as soon as your puppy potties ( I use “go potty”). This positive reinforcement lets your puppy know that you’re pleased with him and he’ll try even harder to please you.

Those are just a few of the tips for housebreaking a puppy. I hope this helps both you and your puppy.

Housebreaking any new pet can often be a daunting challenge, and housebreaking your Pit Bull puppy will be no exception. It is a necessary step that you as a dog owner must take if you intend your Pit Bull to be an indoor pet, but one that many owners dread. The earlier you start training your dog the better, and many veterinarians recommend starting housebreaking at around eight weeks old.

Pit Bulls tend to learn well by repetition, so it is important to develop a daily routine and stick to it as much as possible. They also crave lots and lots of attention, which will help them to feel more secure in their new home and possibly make training easier. It is best if someone is at home at all times with the Pit Bull during housebreaking, as it will definitely make the process much faster. It is important that you have a designated area for your Pit Bull that is to be considered his individual space. Ideally, his space should be somewhere easy to clean up, like a tiled floor for example, because accidents are likely to happen, especially in the beginning. The area will need to have his bed, chew toys, and food and water since this is the area he will spend a lot of time in, especially if you are away. Make sure the area can be closed off so that the dog cannot get out and gain access to other areas of the house when no one is home. Baby gates tend to work well, because the dog can still see you and won’t feel as though he is shut in.

During your time at home, try to give your Pit Bull puppy as much of your attention as possible. Try to go outside with him at least every thirty minutes or so, and make sure you praise or reward him for relieving himself outside. Praise and rewards will help him learn that it is good to potty outside, and he will catch on quick.

Expect your puppy to have accidents in the house. It is just something that is going to happen no matter how diligent you are in training him. Punishing your puppy for this will only lead to more setbacks. The best way to handle housebreaking is to be patient, and remember that it is a long process for both of you that won’t happen overnight. The more attention you give your new Pit Bull puppy, the more he will thrive and do well. During all of the time you devote to training your puppy, you are building a good relationship with him as well, hopefully one that will last a lifetime.

Many people are hesitant to get a new puppy out of fear of the housebreaking process. While the puppy housebreaking process can be consuming it doesn’t have to be hard if you follow the tips we have outlined for you below.

Housebreaking your puppy is best started with puppies are six-sixteen weeks in age. When puppies are this young, they tend to go to the bathroom predictably and frequently. The earlier you start the housebreaking process, the happier you will be as a new dog owner!

The most important tip for successful puppy housebreaking is “Persistence is the key”.

1– First, you need to teach your puppy where you want him to go to the bathroom. Your puppy will not know where to go if you don’t show him. Therefore, he won’t know if he went in the wrong spot. We suggest starting the housebreaking process outside. Many people tend to paper train and in essence you are making the training process harder for you and may end having to retrain him.

2- Praise is essential in the puppy housebreaking process. It will make him feel more confident when you praise him with a treat or pat on the back for a job well done – not messing in the house! While mistakes can and will happen and you may get frustrated – it is very important to not punish your dog, yell or swat him if he has an accident in the house.

3- Be aware of your puppies eating and bathroom habits this will help you get him out side in time to prevent any accidents in the home. Puppies usually have to urinate upon waking up; don’t delay taking him outside upon starting his day. Puppies also defecate regularly after each meal – usually within twenty minutes from eating. Pay attention to your puppy, he will give you signals he has to go out but you have to be in tune with them. These signs include restless circling, squatting and sniffing.

Never carry your puppy outside! You should choose a command to signal him it is time to go outside and that should be the command you always use – puppies like and need a routine that they will become familiar with. When he makes it out the door and does finish his business, praise him – puppies also love attention and affection, let him know he did a good job for his master!

4- Some days will be harder than others but if he makes a mistake in the house, try to ignore it the first time. Yelling at him or swatting him will only make the training process harder for you and your dog scared! Avoid negativity at all cost. Again, we know this might be hard after a day at the office and dealing with the kids but you will be thankful later!

5 – If you will be leaving your puppy alone for a couple of hours, barricade off a corner of the house or use a dog crate but don’t just leave him free to roam the house! Puppies usually will not toilet the area in which they sleep.

Take your puppy outside right before putting him in the crate and then take him outside again immediately upon returning home. Don’t leave any water down on the floor while in this housebreaking process, if you are gone too long he may not be able to help it and have to go. Do make sure to leave him plenty of toys to keep him busy.

A crate can be a very helpful training tool for your dog while in the training process and not wanting to give him full reign of the house just yet. This will happen over time. But remember along with bathroom accidents, puppies like to chew and they will chew anything in their path if they are able to reach it and you aren’t there to tell him “No!”

In closing, Praise your puppy and set him up on a routine, the end result will be a happy dog and a happy dog lover!

Copyright (c) 2007 Mendy Stern

Working 8 hours a day and housebreaking a puppy is not as hard as you may think. In this article we will discuss things you can do to help you with housebreaking your puppy and working a full time job.

Crate Training

This is, without a doubt, one of the first essential steps in training your puppy and an exercise our puppy needs to master in their early days. It can be an effective means of housebreaking your puppy. However, many people misunderstand the proper methods of crate training and the benefits it will bring. Your dog will see their crate as their space, their sanctuary, and their escape from the very odd human world.

Crate Size

Before you start on this training exercise it is important to consider what size of crate to buy. The crate needs to be big enough to see your puppy through from their early days to their full size. Bear in mind though that if it's too large, your pet may end up using one end as their 'Business' area. Some crates offer divider panels to expand the size as they grows. Choose one large enough to stand, comfortably turn, and sprawl.

Evening

Crate Training through the night can be a difficult task, don't worry. When housebreaking a puppy be mindful that they will need to "go" as soon as they see you in the morning. It is very difficult for a puppy to hold his bladder until they are around 9 months of age.

Make Arrangements

While crate training is excellent for housebreaking puppies, do not leave your dog confined in a small area for too long. If your work allows, try to make arrangements to come home during your lunch hour to allow your it to relieve himself. Also there are even services you can hire to provide this. A pet 'holding it' all day can cause bladder and kidney problems.

When Supervised

While crate training your dog, it's a good idea to leave the door open so your pet will not be confined to a closed area. Generally, in addition to housebreaking puppies, you are creating a safe place where your pet will feel comfortable sleeping.

Accidents

Don't make crate training a punishment. If your dog does their 'business' in the house, make a loud, surprised sound take them outside. Avoid shouting "NO!" for this routine as they might associate it as something bad. Be sure to give exaggerated praise when your pet 'goes' outside in the regular chosen area, so they will learn that there is a good thing.

Cleanliness

Their crate is their space, but there will be some jobs you'll need to do on their behalf. Regular cleaning and disinfecting will protect your dog from illness and you home from unwanted smells.

Hopefully this has given you some ideas on how to housebreak your puppy and still keep your day job.

Housebreaking a puppy is probably the number one reason people don’t enter into dog ownership. There is no doubt that this is the hardest part of owning a puppy, but if the process is started immediately and taken seriously your puppy will be trained in no time.

Kennel Training
First and foremost, buy a kennel. This is as important as the toys the leash and the food dish. Kennel training is the easiest and most effective way to housebreak your puppy. Not to mention it will save you hundreds in cleaning bills and damage to your personal property. Forget all you that you have heard that kenneling a puppy is cruel. By providing a kennel for your puppy you are actually catering to his natural instinct as a den animal. Depending on your puppy’s breed, choose a kennel that can accommodate the puppy as a full grown dog. You will be surprised how much your mature dog will utilize their kennel as a place of refuge or just as a place to hang out years down the road. Whatever you do don’t use the kennel as a place to punish your pup. Make the kennel a fun and safe place your puppy will want to be.

Start the process immediately
After you pick up your cute fuzz ball at the breeder make the first stop the backyard or the outside area you plan to take your pup to do his business everyday. Get him acquainted with a spot. Dogs are creatures of habit that crave a schedule and familiarity.

Put together a schedule the entire household will follow on how to of care for your puppy. When everyone is on the same page it will be easy to housebreak your puppy. Puppies on average eat three times a day and sleep about 18 hours a day. After every feeding take him out to his spot and go with him. http://www.dogbreedadvice.com/ Yes, even when it’s below freezing and snowing. Take this into consideration when you’re deciding what time of year to bring your puppy home. You need to make sure he takes his outside trips seriously. Eventually you will be able to open the door and let him out, but not at first.

Newspaper training is a waste of time when housebreaking a puppy. You’re just making more work for yourself. You will end up training your puppy twice, and time is of the essence in the house breaking process. You can never take your puppy out too much. They must go out first thing in the morning and right before you go to bed. If you are accustomed to staying out till 3 am and sleeping till 10, then maybe you aren’t ready to have a puppy.

Now back to the kennel. As I mentioned before, puppies sleep a lot! So after a meal, a trip outside to do his business and some playtime, put him in his kennel. Repeat this and it will become habit. Start out leaving your puppy in the crate for short periods of time when you are home. Gradually extend the stay and take him outside after each time. Dogs in general will not mess where they sleep. If the housebreaking process is done correctly there will be minimal accidents. Don’t leave a puppy to run free when you are not home. You are just asking for a mess.

Bedtime
Right before you go to bed throw on your slippers and head out one last time with your puppy. When you come back in, give your puppy a treat and tuck him into his kennel for the night. All night! Don’t cave to the sad cries of a home sick puppy that would rather snuggle under your down comforter. Before you invite your puppy into your bed remember, cute 10lb puppies grew into 80lb adults! To ease the loneliness you can put a radio near the kennel or a leave on a night light. After a night or two, when your puppy realizes the crying gets him nowhere, he will stop. It’s so important to remain consistent in this house breaking process or it just won’t work. There is no such thing as a partially house trained dog. They either get it or they don’t.

Praise, Praise, Praise
Last but not least dogs crave praise. After every outside trip make a big deal. Scratch under his chin and give him a treat. Don’t scold your puppy for accidents unless you catch them in the act. Puppy’s memory capacity is small. He will have no idea why he is being punished after the fact. If you do catch him in the act, grab him by the scruff of his neck, as his mother would do in the den, and give him a firm NO! Then immediately clean the area with an odor eliminating cleaner.

So that’s it in a nut shell. Puppy training sounds a lot harder than it is. With a little patience and a kennel, you are on the path to puppy training success

Housebreaking a puppy should be based on prevention rather than punishment. A key to housebreaking a puppy or dog for that matter is close supervision. In just a matter of seconds your puppy can have an accident, so to help prevent that from occurring you should watch for signs that your puppy needs to potty. If your puppy starts to run in circles, sniffing at the door or suddenly runs out of site, that he/she is trying to let you know it's potty time.

Another way that helps in housebreaking a puppy is keeping his diet consistent. High quality premium brand dry puppy food is a better choice that canned food or table scrapes. If you need to change his food for any reason try and do it gradually over a period of 5-8 days, gradually increasing the amount of new food each day. Remember, the more changes you make the more difficult housebreaking your puppy will be.

During the day when your puppy can not be supervise I highly recommend your puppy or young dog be kept in a crate or a small confined area. If done properly crate training is a safe and very effective way of housebreaking a puppy. In order for the crate to be used in housebreaking a puppy it should not be used for long periods of time or for punishment.

This my sound like common sense but puppies need to urinate soon after they eat, drink water or sleep, those having troubles housebreaking a puppy tend not to think about that. Another thing that is over looked is the fact that most puppies over 13 weeks of age will need to go 8 or 10 times a day.

So, keep a record of your puppies potty times for a few days. The secret to housebreaking a puppy is figuring out the amount of time between potty times and subtracting about 15 - 20 minutes. For housebreaking a puppy we call the "Safety Zone". By doing this we can figure out how long our little puppy can be trusted to hold out after his last potty break.

Another trick to housebreaking a puppy is not setting him up to fail, what I mean by this not allowing him access to areas carpeting, rugs, ect. Puppies like certain areas to do their business, when you find one (or he does), make a note of it and try and keep him away from it.

When your little angel does have an accident despite his best intentions use a neutralizer with an enzyme based deodorizer to clean the area...there are a number of pet safe products available and should be added to your housebreaking kit.

One area that is overlooked is submissive peeing, it is completely involuntary and scolding your puppy for it will do more harm than good and should be avoided at all cost.

The last thing you need to do when housebreaking a puppy is to use lots of praise. Find a trigger word both you and your puppy can live with and use that in combination with praise and rewards as soon as your puppy potties ( I use "go potty"). This positive reinforcement lets your puppy know that you're pleased with him and he'll try even harder to please you.

Those are just a few of the tips for housebreaking a puppy. I hope this helps both you and your puppy.