Puppy House Training Tips

If you have, or are planning to introduce, a new puppy into your home a little preparation is in order.

One of the first major challenges will be the issue of house training. A little bit of knowlege coupled with a positive attitude will make things a lot easier than most people think.

When you first bring your new puppy home remember this. The excitement of a car ride, possibly her first one, unfamiliar faces, new sights and sounds all will have her needing to go potty immediately. So, with that in mind, take her outside first thing. You want her first toilet break to be outside. When she relieves herself, pet her and praise her, all the while saying something like, "Good girl, outside...outside...good girl" You want her to begin to associate the praise with going potty OUTSIDE! This initial homecoming is a great opportunity to set the precedent for her toilet behavior. Carry her to the part of the yard you want her to use as her toilet and set her down in the grass. Leave her alone and let her sniff the new surroundings. You don't want to pet her yet, but you may want to use encouraging phrases such as, "go pee" or "potty time"...whatever you are comfortable with. Use these phrases when she actually begins to "go pee". She will soon associate both the suggestion and location that the desired activity is to take place! When she is finished is when you make the big fuss over her with praise and maybe even a small treat.

Okay. Now, back into the house. This is where your major house training begins. Crate training is generally accepted as the most efficient and quickest means of housetraining a puppy. What is crate training? Crate training is simply using a small kennel (crate) to confine your new puupy while you are not actually supervising her. The premise here is that dogs have a distinctive dislike for soiling the area where they sleep. (Don't we all!) By keeping her in an area where she has just enough room to sleep comfortably she will "hold it in" until you let her outside to her new toilet area. Remember she is a puppy. She can't hold it in forever! Frequent potty breaks will be necessary while she is learning. Make sure the crate is not so big that she can use one end for her bed and the other end for her toilet. That will obviously defeat the purpose!

Using the crate as a training aid means thta your puppy is to stay in the crate at all times unless she is sleeping on your lap, eating, outside for her toilet break or playing with you or the kids. If playing, she must be supervised and you'll need to take her outside when you notice her sniffing the carpet for a place to eliminate. If you allow the new puppy to wander around the house without complete supervision she will no doubt find a nice corner to pee in and completely disrail your training. If you allow this freedom to roam the house before she is thoroughly house trained you will only encourage her to relieve herself inside.

Keep the crate in an area of the house where there is plenty of activity, such as the kitchen or family room. Just because she is crated doesn't mean she shouldn't be able to see familiar faces and hear familiar sounds. Keep the crate comfy with a couple of old blankets for bedding and you should also toss in a couple of chew toys for her amusement. She will probably balk at the idea of being crated for a couple of days, but remember it is for her own good.

For more information on house training your new puppy check out the links I've included below.