Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Quickly Master the Art of Puppy Housebreaking

By Help Your Pets

Many of us love the idea of a cheerful, playful puppy, but reality often checks in when we're cleaning up puppy mess. While potty training difficulty differs between dog breeds, there are a few tips that can often be applied to potty training any dog breed.

We need to realize that puppies are like children in that they are needy for attention and require a routine. The best thing you can do to ease the potty-training process for your pup is to make sure that you establish the "sleep-eat-potty" routine.

There of course will be times when accidents happen-which is completely normal. There will be times when we don't always hear our pup's whimper in our sleep or are unable to let him outside at the exact moment when he needs to go. It could really help out to have a newspaper pallet on the floor. If your pup begins to potty inside, run him over to the newspaper. This is a good alternative option to use until your pup develops better bladder control.

Understand that a puppy's system is like clockwork. When you feed or water him, he will be ready to potty about 15 - 20 minutes later. The key is to make sure your pup has access to the yard (or wherever you're teaching him to potty) when the time comes. Arranging your puppy's routine to match your own is the easiest way to expect when he's hungry or needs to potty.

Be sure that you separate "potty time" from "play time." Puppies love to explore. It's natural and should be encouraged, but only when it's the appropriate time. Nothing is more frustrating than to be up at 2 am with your little guy running around the yard for twenty minutes, only to potty as soon as you get back inside.

Now would be a great time to teach your puppy the praise and discipline phrases you intend to use throughout training. Many people use terms such as "good boy/girl" and "no." Just remember that while puppies require a firm hand and patience, this is also a time to enjoy your puppy while he's young and full of energy!

About the Author:

No comments:

Post a Comment