House Training a Puppy – Potty Training Your Puppy
House training a puppy can be a time consuming and frustrating experience. It can be traumatic for both you and your puppy, but really doesn’t have to be. The methods are numerous and the choice is yours. Keep in mind that method number one may not work and you will have to adopt method number two.
If you are a stay-at-home puppy parent you can keep your puppy relatively free but under consistent observation. You may want to leash your pup on a 6 foot leash and keep them close while you go through your normal activities. When you need to leave the puppy unattended, attach the leash to a piece of furniture, not in a area where elimination will cause damage.
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Young puppies cannot hold it for long. Usually it’s considered one hour for every month until you reach a point that they can no longer hold it. That would indicate a time to step back to the previous time schedule. One hour at one month and two at two months for starters. Some puppies may take longer to catch on then other. Be patient.
If your puppy starts circling, squatting or becomes restless it is time to get the leash and take him outdoors to eliminate. Don’t forget the reward!
You may want to designate a specific place in your yard for your dog to eliminate. If so, leash your dog and take him to that area every time you take him out for elimination. The repeated trips to the same area and a reward after he completes eliminating just may hasten the training process. All puppies like rewards be it praise, food or a toy. It helps them to bond to you and make you the leader of his very own pack. That is the position that you should hold.
House training a puppy can be done even if you are not at home for extended periods. You just need to either hire someone to come in to walk him or designate a specific room or part of a room for them to stay. A baby gate is a handy device if you are using a room. Paper training can be done incrementally, depending on the stage of your training and the age of your puppy.
At first you should paper the entire area of the room with several layers of newspaper. You will notice where the puppy starts eliminating. Start decreasing the area from the opposite end of the room until you have a small area and the pup is using it.
Crate training is another method to consider. The crate should be large enough for some movement, standing, sitting and lying down. It can be made comfortable by putting some type of bedding on the floor. Towels, blankets or commercial crate beds can be used. They won’t mind staying there if it is comfy.
Crate training should be used in moderation. You should never put the puppy in the crate, leave for work and not let him free until you return. Your puppy can become irritated, frightened or too submissive showing fear of everything outside the crate.
House training your puppy is a chore. If properly done it becomes less of a chore. Enjoy!
Click Here to Learn How to House Train Your Puppy