Potty Train Puppy the Right Way
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Being a dog lover, one of the things I am frequently asked by my new pet owning friends is how to "potty train puppy." That is definitely the million dollar question when you bring home a new dog. Even the deepest doggy love can start to fade if a harried pet owner is continually cleaning up accidents.
Actually, one of the most common reasons for abandonment or pet returns is the failure of the owner to properly, and consistently, potty train puppy. They get frustrated and give up on potty training and the puppy altogether.
Don't let this happen to you and your puppy! There is a lifetime of love waiting for you if you get through the training stages.
As I mentioned in my other puppy potty training tips hub, the most important thing for any pet owner to do is to be consistent. Take your puppy out every day at the same time. Feed your dog every day at the time time.
It is basic biology, something goes in . . . something comes out. Unless you change your puppy's food and something upsets his stomach, the timing between the two should be pretty consistent.
A close friend of mine got a dog within a week of when I got my little Snickers, and so we were going through the potty train puppy thing together. I hadn't talked to her for a couple of weeks, and when we finally touched base, she was so frustrated with constantly having to pick up dog doo all over the house that she was ready to rehome her puppy.
I had a hard time convincing her, but she finally agreed to give it a little longer. Since I had a holiday weekend coming up, Snickers and I went and stayed with her for the long weekend. The first thing I did when I got there was to help her put together a schedule. Her puppy and Snickers had fun going out and doing their business together and by the time we left, her puppy was well on the way to developing a pattern. After another month, she said there had only been one accident.
The point of this story is don't give up! If you are at the end of your rope, get some help and moral support. Talk to a vet, a more experienced dog owner, the people at the local pet store, or check out one of the many online pet and dog forums for advice. There is a wealth of information out there. Take advantage of it!
If you aren't sure where to start to find information on puppy potty training, this site offers a free email course on how to house break your puppy as quickly as possible.
Tobias Charles 2 years ago
I agree with the tips mentioned above. It is important that you start training your puppy from a very early age (as soon as you take him home). The reason for this is simple - its much easier to train a puppy new tips than it is to re-train an older dog that has developed bad habits. One of the very best tips that we always advise is to be fair, consistent and to use rewards based training methods when using any form of dog obedience training.
The reason why we really advocate reward based training methods is simple - because they work! If you reward your puppy at the exact moment he poops outside (guess what - he will want to poop oustide again - so that he gets the treat). If you reward your puppy when he asks to go out - guess what he will do it again. Seeing the trend? Reward and reward again - when you feel that your pooch has mastered a particular area of dog obedience training lets say pooping outside - you can start to remove the treat and just use the praise. You dont want a fat dog afterall!
Source: http://www.dog-obedience-training-online.com/crate