Questions About Housetraining Pups
Dear Scarlet.....can you give us some useful tips on housetraining our pup?
Absolutely. Here are 8 useful tips:
Tip # 1-Be Consistent! Maintain a regular feeding and potty schedule for your pup. Feeding times are normally morning (7-9 a.m.), midday (11 a.m.-noon), early evening (2-3 p.m.), and dinnertime (5-6 p.m.) for pups up to 4 months. Potty times should follow feeding times, as well as first thing in the morning. After 4 months of age, you may eliminate the afternoon meal.
Tip # 2-Use a Crate! Crates can be an effective housetraining tool, since we pups are unlikely to soil in our crates (which are our cozy dens). Caution: only use crates for limited periods-never for punishment and never for extended periods of time. Also, please be aware that If we fidget, or whine in the middle of the night, we probably need to be let out of our crate to go potty.
Tip # 3- Establish a Regular Toilet Area! Select a toilet area and take your pup to that area when you want him to eliminate. Be patient and stand still until your pup has eliminated.
Tip # 4-Look for Pre Potty Behaviors! Watch for signs that pups are about to go potty such as circling, sniffing, and squatting. Take us outside to our potty spot within 5 seconds of observing this behavior.
Tip # 5-Get Rid of Urine Smells! Should your pup have an accident, immediately clean the area with a cleaner that gets rid of (not just masks) urine smells. Otherwise your pup will return to urinate in the same spot.
Tip # 6-Never Use Ammonia Based Cleaners! To us dogs, ammonia smells like urine.
Tip # 7-Don't Free Feed Your Pup! While it is convenient to free feed your pup, it is not wise. If food is simply left out all day you won't know when and how much your pup eats, or when to expect him to potty. This will result in unnecessary accidents. Also, when you make us wait for our food we are more likely to recognize you as our pack leader.
Tip # 8-Praise,Praise, Praise! Praise us after we eliminate. This gives us positive reinforcement.
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