The first training lesson for pet owners is housebreaking a puppy outdoors. The appropriate age for teaching your pet to eliminate is usually done when the puppy is between six and eight weeks old. Dogs whose ages start from four weeks have been started on the program. However, at that age, only a small number of dogs have developed proper muscular control to make it outside when going potty.
The patience of the trainer is just as vital as the dog's behavior in a dog training regimen. A disciplined trainer can teach basic commands like "sit" and "stay" in just a few days. Elimination training often takes longer - anywhere from a few weeks to a month or more.
Similar to other learned behaviors, watching for signs helps the dog in learning the actions quickly. The actions can be enforced and directed with verbal commands followed by praise. In this case, the technique works to the trainer's advantage, since all dogs will naturally eliminate. The difficult part is making the puppies go potty at the right time and the right place.
If you notice that your puppy is circling or squatting, then pick it up, say "outside" and run outside. The puppy may continue to circle for some time, but mostly it will squat immediately. As it begins, clearly say "go potty" (or any special phrase). Your tone has to be firm but not angry. Then, wait until it's finished and show your appreciation for what the puppy did.
If you fail to catch the puppy before it begins to go potty, don't get upset or annoyed. Your dog will need some time to learn the desired behavior, as well as to develop proper control of its bowel and bladder muscles.
Usually, a puppy will need to go once every two or three hours. If you don't observe any pre-elimination behavior within that period, bring the dog outside, just in case. Tell it to "go potty," and then be patient.
Initially, the dog may be confused and not be able to figure out what you're asking it to do. Just keep waiting for the behavior and say the command again. This will allow the dog to understand the connection between the command and the behavior. If there are still no results, you can bring the puppy back indoors but keep a close watch for any signs of needing to go potty. Then take the puppy outside and let it do its business.
Dogs are particularly skilled at learning what the 'alpha' (or the leader of the pack) wants. For the most part, this happens by relating a spoken command to an action, accompanied with praise. Punishing a dog usually backfires, especially when it comes to your dog's waste elimination habits. Avoid harming your dog physically, and do not rub a dog's nose in its waste.
Other housebreaking methods include paper training in which puppies can be taught to go on newspapers or on chemically treated housebreaking pads. If your dog is small enough or you do not have a yard, you may "paper train" your dog to eliminate indoors in these specific areas.
However, there are a few major downfalls to using this method. Unlike cats, dogs will refuse a pleasantly scented litter box. Also, even when the soiled layer of the newspaper is removed, an odor will still develop in the house.
Dogs have such a good sense of smell that they can detect their own odor and they actually like it. Therein lies the problem. A paper-trained dog will smell his odor indoors and will usually choose to eliminate indoors rather than outdoors. And what's worse, it may often miss the paper and leave a mess for you to clean up.
When the dog picks up its odor, it will associate the smelly area with the place for going potty. This raises the difficulty of training the dog to eliminate outside. Rather than developing such a habit, it is better to suffer a few accidents.
Have patience and be consistent as you continue your dog training efforts. Also, make sure to praise your dog when you get the desired behavior. Housebreaking a puppy can be difficult, but if you persevere, you will soon get the results you want.
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