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Do’s and Don’ts of Puppy Housebreaking

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Puppy Housebreaking for the New Pet Owner

Adopting a new puppy or dog can be one of the rewarding things you will ever do, but dog potty training can be very frustrating. Here are some do's and don'ts to help you be successful in your puppy housebreaking efforts.

Do be Consistent in your Dog Potty Training

It is very important to be consistent in your dog potty training endeavors. Your dog will learn important behaviors during the puppy housebreaking phase that, if learned incorrectly, will lead to problems on an ongoing basis. If you are consistent in your dog potty training activities and do not give your dog mixed messages, you will be successful and your dog will learn the puppy housebreaking skills and habits he needs.

Do Use Pee Pads

You will find that while we watched our parents and grandparents put down newspapers to paper train their dogs, we have a better tool today that is based on the same concept. Pee pads are better than newspapers because they are water absorbent, have water proof backing, and they are chemically treated to encourage your dog to use them.

Do Encourage Your Puppy To Use His Pee Pads

puppy pee padsIf you catch your puppy or dog in the act of having an accident or notice that he is behaving as though he has to "go," place him on one of his pet training pads and encourage him to finish his task there. Puppy housebreaking is a crucial time, so be sure to give lots of praise and positive reinforcement when your puppy uses the pee pads as directed.

Don't Punish Puppy Housebreaking Accidents That You Don't See

Let's face it. Your puppy will pee and poop millions of times in his life. It is not a memorable event. If your puppy has an accident that you find later, do not punish him for it. He will not remember doing it and will not understand the correlation between the event and the punishment.

Do Gradually Transition From Puppy Training Pads To Outside

Once your puppy understands that he is to use his puppy training pads, begin moving the pads closer to the door, a little each day. Once the pad is right beside the front door and your dog is using it regularly, move the pad outside, making sure that your dog knows where it is. Eventually, he will be asking to go outside because he'll know that is where it is.

Do Find Puppy Training Pads in the Right Size for Your Dog

Training pads come in small, medium, and large sizes, to meet the needs of your specific dog. Puppy housebreaking will be more successful if your pads are proportionate to the size of your dog. A large or extra large pad will prove to be a large waste of materials because it is not necessary if you have a Chihuahua or a toy poodle. On the other hand, a small pad will not be adequate if you are working with a Great Dane or Mastiff.

NewPuppyPads.com

Do you have any housebreaking tricks that work? Share them here:

  • JRLSolutions Mar 11, 2011 @ 10:20 pm | delete
    Nice lens :)
  • Ladymermaid Jan 15, 2011 @ 11:17 am | delete
    Cute images. Great suggestions. Puppies are so much like toddlers in their personalities....but a little less cranky :)
  • MissyBrown Dec 19, 2010 @ 3:39 am | delete
    Sounds great Sara, glad I could help. Good luck with your new puppy and thanks for stopping by.
  • Sara Dec 8, 2010 @ 7:15 pm | delete
    Thanks for the article. I'm getting my new puppy this weekend and will order from the site you suggested.
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MissyBrown

MissyBrown is a stay at home mom who enjoys listen to Reba and working on building her online income. She is new to squidoo and hopes to make lenses t... more »

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