House training your dog / House training tips for a new puppy

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When a new puppy arrives in the house, it’s an exciting time for everyone. Everybody is happy and feels great. Now, to keep it that way after the first impressions, we need to train the puppy. Let it know what it can and what it can't do.

House training a dog is on of the first challenges of dog ownership (certainly if it is your first dog). If you equip yourself with some rudimentary knowledge and a positive attitude, it’s a lot easier than most people think: it is even great fun!

The New Arrival

As soon as you bring the puppy home, take her outside. The excitement of a (car) journey coupled with the unfamiliar faces, sights, and sounds is a lot to handle for the pup. If you can orchestrate her first toilet break so that it occurs outside, instead of inside. The more your puppy relieves herself inside, the more likely she is to do it again.

The homecoming is a great opportunity for you to set a precedent for toilet behavior!

- Take her to your designated toilet area, and put her down on the grass.

- Wait while she sniffs around – refrain from petting her or playing with her just yet, else she might an association between this area and games. She has to learn that this part of the yard is for toilet breaks only.

- When she begins to relieve herself, say the phrase you want her to associate with toilet breaks: “Go pee” or “potty time” or whatever works for you. Keep it as short as possible

- When she’s done, make a big fuss over her: shower her in praise and affection, and give her a little treat.

As far as house training goes, crate training is generally accepted to be the most effective and efficient means of house training a puppy in a short space of time.

What is crate training?

Crate-training is essentially the use of a small indoor kennel (the crate) to confine your young puppy when you’re not actively supervising her. How does it work?

Crate training is based on all dogs’ inherent dislike of soiling the area where they sleep. Because you’re restricting your puppy’s movement to her sleeping space, she’ll instinctively “hold it in” until she’s let out of the crate, unless you leave her in there too long, of course!)

Using the crate for house training (examples)

Crate training works like this: your puppy is in that crate at all times unless she’s sleeping, eating, outside with you going to the toilet, or being played with (active supervision.). You’ll need to be consistent. If you allow her access to the house before she’s thoroughly house trained, she is encouraged to relieve herself inside the house.

Crate training normally takes 1 to 2 months, this also depends on the breed of your dog and how much time you spend on the training. As the puppy grows older, you can begin to reduce the amount of time spent in the crate. But don't do that too soon!

Other crate training rules (examples)

Your puppy probably won’t be too happy to go in the crate the first couple of times she uses it. She wants to be outside, getting affection and attention, hanging out with the family. But it really is for her own good she’ll come to accept the crate as her own personal haven. She can go there to relax and get a couple hours’ uninterrupted sleep.

The best place for the crate to be is the hub of the household: usually the den or the kitchen. If she is in the crate she still needs to feel like part of the household.

The crate should be a welcoming, inviting place for her to go. A couple of thick blankets or towels on the floor, a few toys and a chew or two will make her feel home in the crate.

Some toilet facts about puppies that will come in handy

- Puppies’ bladders and bowels are so small and weak that they have only very little time between knowing they need to go, and having to go immediately. It’s imperative that you take her outside as soon as she wakes up, and within ten minutes of eating or playing.

- Behaviors that indicate she needs to go outside include sniffing the ground and circling. So as soon as she starts, take her out straight away. Better an unnecessary trip to the yard than a dirty carpet!

For a more indepth look at house training, as well as a great deal of useful information on canine behavioral problems and the most effective training techniques, check out The Ultimate House Training Guide. It’s the complete dog-house-training guide.

You can visit the The Ultimate House Training Guide site by clicking on the link below: