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Dog TrainingSUPPLIES
- Crate
- Litter box or paper (depending on training process)
- Cleaning product made for pet stains
Overview
One of the hardest parts of owning a new puppy is potty training. After all, most of the time your puppy is an adorable, squirmy little bundle of love who just wants to play and show affection. But your love can turn to wrath when you see that your puppy has used the floor as his potty. Keep in mind, though, that a puppy is a baby who is still learning right from wrong, and doesn't have full control of his bladder yet. With careful, loving training from you, he'll learn where and when to go potty.
Step 1
Determine where you want your puppy to go to the bathroom: outdoors, inside on paper or in a litter box? After all, if you don't know where you want your puppy to go, how will she?
Step 2
Take your puppy to the spot you've decided on after every meal, first thing in the morning, last thing at night, after naps and after play sessions. Be patient: You may have to wait 10 or 15 minutes. If the puppy has not gone after 15 minutes, bring him back inside and put him in his crate or other enclosed area. After about 10 minutes, try again. Do not play with your puppy until he has gone to the bathroom.
Step 3
Don't punish accidents. This only enforces a fear of going to the bathroom in front of you. If you catch your puppy in the act, simply bring her to her "potty spot." If you find a mess after the fact, don't scold your puppy. She won't know why you're mad. Simply clean up the mess with a cleaning formula specially designed for pet stains, so the odor doesn't remain in the flooring. if the smell remains your puppy will recognize the area as a "potty area."
Step 4
Be consistent. Get up at the same time every day and feed at the same time every day. This way you and your puppy can establish a routine; he'll learn what's expected of him more quickly and you'll learn the signs that he needs to go. Watch your puppy carefully. You'll soon learn his body language. Generally when a puppy starts walking in circles, sniffing the floor and arching his back, it's a sign he's looking for a place to go to the bathroom.
Step 5
Reward success. When your puppy goes to the bathroom in her designated area, throw a party. Praise her, rub her belly, give her a treat, tell her what a good girl she is. Don't worry about going overboard---you're just letting your puppy know you're happy with her behavior. This is called positive reinforcement, and it goes a long way toward successful training.
TIPS AND WARNINGS
- TIP : Consistency is critical to puppy potty training. It doesn't matter so much where you want him to go and when, as long as it's always the same.
The old trick of rubbing a puppy's nose in his mess is ineffective. The puppy doesn't understand what he's done wrong.
Don't paper-train a dog you later want to go outside. It just means you have to retrain.
- WARNING : A puppy that still has accidents after four or five months of age may have a medical problem. Take him to a vet.
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