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Solutions to common housebreaking problems

October 3, 2009 | Filed Under: Dogs And Family

If you are planning to get an indoors dog (or already have one), you will need to get educated in housebreaking, which is also known as housetraining. It is not hard, nor is messy, but it will need honest effort on your part. It also does not take an awful lot fo time, but it is ultimartely a training issue. This means that the more involved you are, the shorter the overall span of training will be!

House training dogs in a way that is aimed at realistic results is rooted in two principles that get echoed again and again.

First, if the puppy is not caught acting out the error, then there is no point in punishing the dog, much less contemplating punishing him.

Second, your puppy deserves praise and some good treats if things go ahead as planned. If all they get for any accident is a terse “No”, then let them know when they do things right!

There are many methods to housebreaking a puppy. One scheme is to get the dog used to eliminating in a single precise location outside the home. To start, a homeowner will need to use specially-scented paper that attract the dog to make use of it. When the puppy starts acting as if it wants to go potty (i.e. it is circling the floor while sniffing it), calmly pick it up without talking, then gently lay them on the paper or pad. Heap verbal praise and treats on them when they eliminate on the “bathroom.”

When the dog is already using the paper consistently, the papers are brought closer to the door, and-or another set is placed outside. The dog is being helped here to move its toilet habits from one spot inside the house, to another one outside. The training ends with the dog being observed relieving itself consistently on a single, specific spot outside the house. A potential loophole to this scheme is that the dog is welcome for a good period of time to relieve himself indoors.

Let’s talk this time about verbal cues. These come in handy to help you and your pet to aim after a target. Experts think it is good to use a word to signal that it is time to use the bathroom. Short, simple words are good, such as “Outside?” Naturally, everybody in the family must be in agreement to use the same word (or gesture) in the same way when giving a command or a signal. Experience show that it is better if the master initiates this activity through a verbal command, rather than passively just waiting for the dog to learn going on its own.

A last word on the impact of the feeding schedule on housebreaking training. Note how the puppies need to visit outside when they wake and within 30 to 40 minutes of their meals. Do your best to be on the dot when you feed the animal; this way, you can actually predictwhen they need to relieve themselves. Work your trips around these patterns.

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