| House Training 2 |
 |
|
| Timing As a general rule, the length of time a puppy can be left confined in his create without going outside is roughly equal to his age in months: 2 months old = 2 hours of confinement without a potty break 3 months old = 3 hours of confinement without a potty break 4 months old = 4 hours of confinement without a potty break etc. - up to about 6 - 8 months of age. ANY time there is a change in activity, such as after waking, playing, or eating, puppy MUST be taken outside! Your puppy will also give certain indications each time he needs to eliminate: abrupt stop of play, circling, sniffing, running out of the room, a "look" on his face. You will eventually become familiar with these "warning signs". |
| Accidents -They will happen All is not lost if puppy eliminates in the house or in his crate! If you catch him in the act, make an abrupt noise (clap hands, say NO NO) and use a firm low voice to illustrate your displeasure. "Bad dog! Bad! Outside to do this!" (voice starts to get friendlier now) "Let's go OUTSIDE! Outside!" (now in normal command voice) "Be Quick". GOOD DOG Be Quick!" Use a lot of cheerful praise if he finishes outside. Remember, you MUST catch puppy IN THE ACT of inappropriate elimination to facilitate an effective lesson. Rubbing his nose in "it" afterward (even by just a few moments) only teaches him that "doo doo" in the house gets him in trouble. Then you feces on the dog that you have to now clean up too before he gets that all over. "Oh no", you say, "my dog KNOWS!". Well, not really. A behaviorist once said he illustrated this to a skeptical client by sending the client out of the house while he collected stool from the backyard and set it in the middle of the living room. The client was invited back into the house and the dog ran and hid! Here's another example of how dogs think: Puppy poops where he shouldn't and wanders into another room to quietly chew a bone. The owner finds the poop, locates the puppy and drags him to the mess and stuffs his nose in it. Puppy wonders, "I was off chewing my bone and now I'm getting my nose shoved into this mess! I just don't get it! I get punished for chewing my bone?" TIMING...of catching the puppy in the act in order to correct and teach...of PRAISE for appropriate elimination...is everything and CONSISTENCY is the key! Proper behavior must be praised EVERY TIME you give a command and it is followed. I just want to touch on what should be an obvious point. Smacking a dog for an accident is NEVER appropriate. Even when the dog is older. There may be a reason behind this behaviour especially if the dog has been doing very well in his/her training. Illness, Stress. Etc. Smacking a puppy is detrimental to the pup as well as your relationship to the Pup. Contrary to over whelming belief this does not produce respect only fear. A puppy does not obey under fear. To own a puppy/dog is to have an equally respectful relationship, If someone was smacking you all the time you wouldn't be respectful and eventually may lash back! Dog's are No different. "What about paper-training?" -teaches Puppy that eliminating in the house is acceptable and causes confusion as well as more mess for you. If your puppy goes outside, then comes in and poops on the floor. You, as the owner/trainer, are at fault here. You are missing the two BIG keys in successful potty training: 1. You MUST accompany your puppy outside WITH a leash on to supervise elimination and 2. Freedom in the house is only earned by appropriate elimination outside. No pees or poos - NO FREEDOM, and puppy goes back in his crate. Next, the owner checks again in a time frame of 20 minutes then takes puppy outside on the LEASH for another opportunity to eliminate appropriately and earn freedom. Standing at the door and then giving your puppy a treat wont cut it either. Your puppy is getting his treat for coming back into the house, NOT for appropriate elimination. Praise MUST happen DURING elimination to make the connection in puppy's mind. Some dogs will run outside and run back in without eliminating because they know they'll get a treat. This can also encourage frequent demands to go out - just so they can get a treat when they come in! Remember, puppies are like kids. NOT adults. "When will I know if my dog is housebroken?" Appropriate elimination FIRST happens primarily because we, as owners, control it. We are working, when we potty train, to establish a HABIT, and that will usually take two to three months, depending on how consistent and persistent you are as the owner/trainer. Here are some indications your dog/puppy understands the program: 1. "Accidents" in the house and/or crate have decreased during the training period to none or almost none. 2. When you use your commands for elimination, your puppy responds by eliminating. 3. Your puppy starts to "ask" to go outside by barking, running to the door, staring at you, or in some other way. 4. The freedom you give your puppy is mostly "accident" free. Special problems...FYI Dogs or puppies purchased from a pet shop or other place where they were always kept in a small cage. ((These dogs never had a choice and HAD to eliminate where they lived. Owners must devote extra time to take such dogs outside more frequently in order to get elimination outside rather than in the crate. Elaborate praise when they "go" is essential so they learn that life is better all around when they eliminate outside. Elimination in the crate should be ignored and just cleaned up at first - with no correction or harsh words. Later, as the dog starts to understand "going outside" a little better, the same corrections used when your dog has an accident on the floor (see "Accidents" above) can be used for crate soiling. Training these dogs takes a lot of patience and time.)) |