House Training A Dog

House training a dog is really not as difficult as one might think and doesn’t require rubbing noses in pee or a lot of yelling and screaming. What it does take is establishing a schedule and a place that’s ok to do the deed. Do you plan on pee pad training or do you have easy access to a yard? If you have a yard at your disposal, house training a dog or house training a puppy is as easy as remembering to take your pup outside.

If you live in an apartment and plan to go for walks, pee pad training might be a great tool to avoid unwanted accidents. Pee pads are an easy and affordable alternative for all dogs. It is best for small dogs, however, mainly because they tend to urinate less. Large dogs leave large amounts of urine and in small spaces it can quickly become overpowering with scent and is quite a bit messier.

Wherever you decide your puppy goes to the bathroom will help you figure out how you are going to approach this. There is not much difference when it comes to outside versus puppy pads or both, but puppy pads do require a bit more patience on our part. You need to ensure the pup goes on them so you can offer lots of praise when they do, so they can learn that is what you want. This is not always easy to do so check out this page for tips and tricks for using pee pads specifically.

House training a dog: The Basics of How To Do It

Do:

Know when your dog or puppy will have to pee by recognizing the signs.
When you know they have to go, take them to the area you have chosen (by either putting them on the pad, or taking them outside)
As soon as they finish, offer tons of praise and pets (even a treat) as a reward for going in the right place.
Correct behavior when an accident occurs with a calm assertive “no”
Keep areas clean where accidents have occurred (the scent can entice them to go in the same spot again).
Stick to a routine. Dogs will hold it if they know they will be let out and do not prefer to go in their living area.

Do Not:

Do not yell or scream angrily. They will become afraid of going to the bathroom around you. If this happens they’ll hide from you to do it. So you won’t be able to correct behavior as it happens, or praise them when it is done correctly.
Do not try to correct behavior unless you are catching them in the act. If you come across an accident and try to correct then, your puppy will not associate the behavior with your correction.

House training a Dog: Know When They Gotta Go

Figuring out when your puppy needs to go is not all that difficult if you are regulating their food or using a kennel. They usually have to go about a half hour after eating, so pay attention to the time it takes and use it to your advantage. They also usually have to go almost immediately after waking up, either from a night’s sleep or a nap. You know they are looking for a spot when they start circling, and sniffing the ground. If you see this behavior take them to where they should go and when they do, praise, praise, praise!

What Else Do You Need to Know

The most effective tool for house training a dog or a puppy is the use of positive reinforcement when your pup goes where it should. This means when your dog is outside and you see him go to the bathroom you should look ridiculous. So ridiculous because you will get so overly excited and happy and ooze praise. Fido is gonna be happy that you are so happy. He will feel confident going where he should and so will continue to do so.

You will have times when your puppy doesn’t go where he is suppose to, but this is easy to correct and something to be expected. Adult dogs do not typically experience accidents, unless they haven’t had the opportunity to go where they are allowed. Also some senior dogs experience incontinence, which should be dealt with differently, like with the use of dog diapers.