House Training a Puppy | The Basics



Posted: Monday, February 27, 2006

by James McDonald
http://www.easyhomeimprovements.net

There is no fool proof method for house training a puppy, but crate training has proven successful
for many. There is nothing more exciting than bringing home a new puppy, but you need to teach it how to act when in your home to make the experience pleasant for all family members. The crate training process teaches the puppy to hold it until the opportunity to relieve himself somewhere more acceptable presents itself. However, this training method is not an excuse to contain your new puppy for a long period of time.

The crate training method is based on the theory that puppies prefer not mess up their living space if they don't have to. Puppies should not be left in the crate for extended periods of time, usually no more than a couple hours when they are young. If your puppy does relieve himself in the crate because he could no longer hold it the training process will reach setbacks. You don't want them to become used to doing this and develop undesirable habits.

If no one will be home for long periods of time during the day, the puppy should be put in a bathroom or other small uncarpeted place. Try to find one that can be closed off with a door or a baby gate. House training a puppy should only take place when the main trainer is at home. Keep in mind when you arrive home the first thing to do is take the dog outside on a leash. Play with the puppy for a while then place him back him in the crate. After you have waited about an hour or so take him outside again. If he relieves himself, make sure you give him lots of praise. This will help him associate going to the bathroom outside with a positive experience. If the puppy doesn't relieve himself place him back in the crate and try again in about 45 minutes. This training process should be repeated until he is successfully trained. After the puppy relieves himself in the correct place he should be allowed to play free throughout house.

Some people find it helpful to document the times their puppy relieves himself. This may seem a bit strange at first but will ultimately help you to determine your puppy's habits. This will get him on a schedule and allow you to decrease the amount of time he has to spend in the crate.

An important thing to keep in mind during the house training process is to be consistent and give an enormous amount of praise. The training process may take a while but it is very important to understand that if the puppy happens to have an accident during the training it is fine, and you should just increase the amount of trips outside. Remember if he has an accident after his training has been completed succesfully, don't punish him. Positive reinforcement is all that's needed for training him. Just go back to the training process for a short duration and you should be back on track in no time.

About the Author:
James McDonald writes for www.discount-dog-products.com where you can find discount dog products and other information on your canine family member.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)
» left by emily
from missouri 6 years 82 days ago.
I thought this was a great website. It had a lot of the information I needed since I want to get a Goldendoodle puppy. Thanks!
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