House Training a Dog

Having a dog is very rewarding in itself. Dogs, after all, are mans best friend. They are loving, loyal and eager to please. However, like anything good, it takes work, dedication and patience. House training a dog plays a big part in what kind of personality your dog will have. When training your dog, it is very important to always be patient. Never scold or punish your dog for not doing a trick. This can cause your dog not to trust you and possibly even develop aggression issues. To ensure this does not occur you not only need patience, but dedication as well.

It is important to begin dog housebreaking at a young age. Most professional dog training tips recommend house training a dog as a young puppy. It is much more difficult to do this after they get older. There are very effective ways to accomplish this training.

The first thing that you need to know is timing. Puppies tend to eat or drink, then go to the bathroom about fifteen or twenty minutes later. Keeping this in mind can help with the training. Let the puppy eat or drink and then take them out where you want them to go to the bathroom in that time frame. However, you may not be there all the time, so do not get angry or scold the puppy. They typically cannot control it until about ten months or so if housebreaking begins at eight months.

It is a good idea to take your puppy out at specific times, such as, as soon as the puppy wakes up in the morning, After breakfast, lunch, a nap, his dinner, before bed, after any snacks, and if he whimpers at night. If you are crate training your puppy, make sure to take the puppy out after removing him from the crate. Stay outside until the puppy is done, or if a long time goes by with no producing.

Make sure that you do not feed your puppy or give him water when you cannot be there to take him out right away. Remember to praise the puppy in a happy voice when he goes. If he has an accident, clean it up quietly. Ignore him to show that you are displeased with his accident. Do not scold him or physically punish him in anyway.

Most dogs tend to chew from an early age. The younger the dog, the less it cares what it is that it chews on. It’s best to discourage these bad habits at an early age, though. There are dog training tips that cover the best ways to discourage chewing on things you do not want them to chew on. For instance, keep all shoes and laundry out of their reach and ensure that your children’s toys are separate from your pets.

There are dog toys, like rawhide and chew bones made of rubber specifically made for this. You may want to keep them inside and outside. Pork and chicken bones tend to splinter and can hurt your dog, but beef bones are good. If your pet picks something up that you do not want them chewing on, take it away from them, tell them “no” in a firm voice, and present them with something that you want them to chew on. Also, try putting the dog on a leash and presenting it something that you do not want it to chew on. If the dog goes toward the object, tug on the leash firmly to one side and say “no” loudly.

Leash training your puppy shouldn’t be a hassle. Dogs do like the exercise of going for walks, but do not respond to pulling. There is an easy way to get your puppy used to leashes. First, attach a light-weight leash to the collar. Let the leash go and allow the dog to drag it around. Call the puppy over and praise her. Leave the leash on only for a few minutes at a time and only when you are around to watch the puppy. After a couple of days, the dog will get used to the leash, and you can begin walking her on a leash.

House training a dog should also include getting your dog to understand the word “off”. To do this, start by getting your dog to put it’s feet on something, like a chair. Praise them, then, after a few moments, tell them “off” in a firm voice and help them off. Do this several times and the puppy will start to
get down on their own when you tell them “off”.