How do I house-train my dog?
First, during those times when you
cannot supervise her/him, it is wise to restrict the movement of a new animal
during the house-training phase.
You can house-train your dog by
using a crate. Or, for limited periods of time, you can confine the dog to a small,
easy-to-clean room, like the bathroom, equipped with a child gate. Under
supervision, of course, he can have the run of the house.
Your dog should consider this
space a safe place, so add the dog's bed, water and
things to chew on to create a
comfortable den. The dog should be fed in this space
as well.
Set up a daily schedule where you
walk your dog on lead (or carry her/him) to the desired elimination spot after meals,
after naps, and every couple of hours in between. Toreinforce that the trip has a
purpose, you should not play with the dog during trips to
eliminate. Use a word or phrase
(like "do your business") to remind the dog of her duty.
As soon as she/he has produced,
praise her/him lavishly and give her/him a treat.
What do I need to know about house-training a
puppy?
Puppies cannot hold their bladders
and bowels for more than a few hours. Even the
most intelligent and
well-intentioned puppy has to wait until its muscles develop before it
can exercise appropriate bladder
and bowel control, just like a human infant. If you must
be away for more than two or three
hours, and you are training the puppy to eliminate
outdoors, you will need someone to
help by walking the puppy for you.
If you are training a puppy to
eliminate on paper or in a litter box, the space the puppy is contained in will need to be large
enough for a sleeping area away from an elimination
spot. (Dogs don't like to
eliminate where they sleep.) Keep in mind that a puppy, if
trained to paper or a litter box,
may have a lifelong surface preference - that is, even
as an adult, she/he may eliminate on
paper if it is laying around the house. Having a puppy eliminate
in the house will prolong the process of teaching her/him to eliminate outdoors.
Wishing you a happy pet!
The Bark Avenue Team
213-748-7485 / BarkAveLA.com
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