House Training Puppies

A puppy brings so much joy and laughter to a family. What about house training puppies? Well, there may be a drop in the level of joy! You know it's got to be done. It calls for sacrifices on YOUR part.

House training your puppy requires a lot of patience from you. Owning a puppy is a big responsibility and not to be taken lightly. The earlier training begins, the better. This is a very influential time in its life.

You will need to be consistent in your approach. Never deviate. Use the same verbal commands. Give a specific name for a specific action, such as "go poo" or "do wee wee." Your puppy will eventually learn by association.

Don't Punish Accidents

Remember that your puppy is (a) an animal and (b) a baby. Accidents will happen. It takes time and repetition until they eventually understand. Puppies/dogs by nature just want to please us. They respect us. They didn't make a mistake to anger us.

You may have heard of punishments like "rubbing their noses in it." Yes, sure they work, but is this really the way to go about it, especially when there are better options?

Having A Routine

A puppy will need to go out often at first. That means it's up to you to take it out, even if you don't feel like it. It's a good idea to get into a routine. There are specific times that you need to take it out.

For example, upon waking, before you go to work, after work, after play, after each meal and before going to bed. You may need to take it out on other occasions other than those mentioned as well.

Remember to use verbal cues. This will help to reinforce learning. It will take time, so you need to persevere. When your puppy does go, praise it immediately. It will feel happy and learn faster; otherwise, it won't know it did a good thing.

Inside The Home

House training puppies can occur inside your home. Use a crate or newspapers and designate a certain area as your puppy's "special place." You can use old newspapers and once your puppy understands, you can use fewer papers.

A crate is a good way to teach your puppy self-control. This is important because it will teach it that even though it wants to go, it does not have to.

It's the same for humans. We know that even though we need to go, we hold it until we find a washroom…and WHY is it so hard to find one?

A great product to get for house training puppies is the Wizdog. It doesn't take up much space and your puppy (or dog) will eventually learn to use it. It's easy to clean and is highly recommended.

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