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House Training
Housetraining is not a difficult concept for your dog to learn. It’s as easy as
establishing a schedule, purchasing a crate and finding the proper place for
your dog to potty.
Prepare before bringing your new friend home. Purchase a crate, bowls, food,
toys, leash, and collar. Remember your new dog is going to require lots of
your time for training, walking, playing and cuddling! You’ll also need a healthy
dose of patience. Your dog may test it, so be prepared.
Adult Dogs
Get started as soon as you bring your new dog home. No point in creating
bad habits. After the excitement of the car ride home, your dog should feel the
need to potty. This is a perfect time to find that place in your yard for waste
elimination. Find your dog’s potty place and take her there immediately. Give
her a few minutes to sniff all the wonderful new scents before she settles
enough to relieve herself. Remember to praise her for going outside! Use
verbal praise, treats and affection. Be sure that your dog knows that you are
really happy about this outdoor potty stuff!
When you take her outside again, take her to the same spot where she
pottied as this may encourage a repeat performance. Over time this will not
be necessary as she will understand the goal of going potty outside.
Establish a feeding schedule. This is essential to housetraining! Dogs do best
when fed twice a day, breakfast and dinner.
Breakfast: Allow your dog to potty first thing in the morning. Don’t forget to
give yourself some extra time in the morning as you’ll need to walk your dog
no later than 20 minutes after feeding. Of course 20 minutes is just a
guideline. If your dog seems to be looking at the door sooner or circling and
sniffing, make sure to get her outdoors pronto.
Dinner: Allow your dog to potty as soon as you get home. Then follow the
same routine as the morning by allowing your dog to potty no later than 20
minutes after feeding.
Puppies
Patience and a good enzymatic cleaner are the keys to housetraining a
puppy. Keep in mind puppies have tiny bladders and there will be accidents.
You’re going to minimize the damage through crate training and frequent
potty breaks.
You should be taking your puppy out upon awakening, after each feeding,
play session, training session, introduction to a new person or animal –
basically any time the puppy has been active or gets excited. These activities
can stimulate the physical urge to go.
If your puppy starts sniffing and circling, this is a flashing red light indicating
she has to potty. Take her out immediately! When she does potty, tell her
how wonderful she is. When you take her outside again, take her to the same
spot where she eliminated previously. This will indicate to her where the toilet
is and she’ll be more likely to use it again. In time this will not be necessary.
Paper Training
Just say NO! Paper training makes your overall goal of housetraining more
difficult. Paper training establishes the inside of the house as the dog’s toilet
which is the opposite of what you are trying to accomplish. Also puppies may
assume going near the papers is as good as going on the papers.
Accidents
It’s your fault not hers! If you are following these guidelines, you shouldn't
encounter too many accidents in the house. If you do, take your puppy out
more often. If you catch your puppy in the act, say nothing. Simply move her
outside to finish. When she is done, praise her for going outside. Never, ever
punish your puppy by rubbing her nose in it, smacking her with newspapers,
yelling, or slapping her. Punishment results in dogs that become fearful of and
possibly aggressive towards humans.
Other Helpful Tips
Crate Training: Please refer to the crate training protocol. Crates can be
invaluable when it comes to housetraining. Not only will your dog be less likely
to potty in her crate, if she does it’s easy cleanup for you. No worries about
furniture or carpeting serving as your dog’s toilet. With time your dog may
graduate to a baby-gated area or even the entire house.
If your dog has an accident in the crate or house, don’t make a big deal about
it. Dogs don’t go potty indoors because they are mad at us or because they
want revenge. They do it because they needed to go. Use a cleaner like
Nature’s Miracle to break down the urine.
Keep in mind that changes to a dog’s food, health, routine or emotional state
can cause lapses in housetraining. If your dog has regressed, first consult
your veterinarian to rule out any physical problems. If there are no health
issues, you will need to do some sleuthing to figure out an emotional cause
(moving to a new home, adding a new pet or person.)
Speutering your Pit will benefit your housetraining efforts. Male dogs begin to
lift their leg and “mark” between four and nine months of age. Not only will
they mark outdoors (trees, shrubs, telephone poles) but could also mark in
your house (chairs, lamps, beds.) Having your dog neutered goes a long way
in avoiding this unwanted behavior. Also neutering and spaying helps to
prevent urinary tract infections that could lead to frequent urination and
accidents.
CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO THE MAIN EDUCATION PAGE
establishing a schedule, purchasing a crate and finding the proper place for
your dog to potty.
Prepare before bringing your new friend home. Purchase a crate, bowls, food,
toys, leash, and collar. Remember your new dog is going to require lots of
your time for training, walking, playing and cuddling! You’ll also need a healthy
dose of patience. Your dog may test it, so be prepared.
Adult Dogs
Get started as soon as you bring your new dog home. No point in creating
bad habits. After the excitement of the car ride home, your dog should feel the
need to potty. This is a perfect time to find that place in your yard for waste
elimination. Find your dog’s potty place and take her there immediately. Give
her a few minutes to sniff all the wonderful new scents before she settles
enough to relieve herself. Remember to praise her for going outside! Use
verbal praise, treats and affection. Be sure that your dog knows that you are
really happy about this outdoor potty stuff!
When you take her outside again, take her to the same spot where she
pottied as this may encourage a repeat performance. Over time this will not
be necessary as she will understand the goal of going potty outside.
Establish a feeding schedule. This is essential to housetraining! Dogs do best
when fed twice a day, breakfast and dinner.
Breakfast: Allow your dog to potty first thing in the morning. Don’t forget to
give yourself some extra time in the morning as you’ll need to walk your dog
no later than 20 minutes after feeding. Of course 20 minutes is just a
guideline. If your dog seems to be looking at the door sooner or circling and
sniffing, make sure to get her outdoors pronto.
Dinner: Allow your dog to potty as soon as you get home. Then follow the
same routine as the morning by allowing your dog to potty no later than 20
minutes after feeding.
Puppies
Patience and a good enzymatic cleaner are the keys to housetraining a
puppy. Keep in mind puppies have tiny bladders and there will be accidents.
You’re going to minimize the damage through crate training and frequent
potty breaks.
You should be taking your puppy out upon awakening, after each feeding,
play session, training session, introduction to a new person or animal –
basically any time the puppy has been active or gets excited. These activities
can stimulate the physical urge to go.
If your puppy starts sniffing and circling, this is a flashing red light indicating
she has to potty. Take her out immediately! When she does potty, tell her
how wonderful she is. When you take her outside again, take her to the same
spot where she eliminated previously. This will indicate to her where the toilet
is and she’ll be more likely to use it again. In time this will not be necessary.
Paper Training
Just say NO! Paper training makes your overall goal of housetraining more
difficult. Paper training establishes the inside of the house as the dog’s toilet
which is the opposite of what you are trying to accomplish. Also puppies may
assume going near the papers is as good as going on the papers.
Accidents
It’s your fault not hers! If you are following these guidelines, you shouldn't
encounter too many accidents in the house. If you do, take your puppy out
more often. If you catch your puppy in the act, say nothing. Simply move her
outside to finish. When she is done, praise her for going outside. Never, ever
punish your puppy by rubbing her nose in it, smacking her with newspapers,
yelling, or slapping her. Punishment results in dogs that become fearful of and
possibly aggressive towards humans.
Other Helpful Tips
Crate Training: Please refer to the crate training protocol. Crates can be
invaluable when it comes to housetraining. Not only will your dog be less likely
to potty in her crate, if she does it’s easy cleanup for you. No worries about
furniture or carpeting serving as your dog’s toilet. With time your dog may
graduate to a baby-gated area or even the entire house.
If your dog has an accident in the crate or house, don’t make a big deal about
it. Dogs don’t go potty indoors because they are mad at us or because they
want revenge. They do it because they needed to go. Use a cleaner like
Nature’s Miracle to break down the urine.
Keep in mind that changes to a dog’s food, health, routine or emotional state
can cause lapses in housetraining. If your dog has regressed, first consult
your veterinarian to rule out any physical problems. If there are no health
issues, you will need to do some sleuthing to figure out an emotional cause
(moving to a new home, adding a new pet or person.)
Speutering your Pit will benefit your housetraining efforts. Male dogs begin to
lift their leg and “mark” between four and nine months of age. Not only will
they mark outdoors (trees, shrubs, telephone poles) but could also mark in
your house (chairs, lamps, beds.) Having your dog neutered goes a long way
in avoiding this unwanted behavior. Also neutering and spaying helps to
prevent urinary tract infections that could lead to frequent urination and
accidents.
CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO THE MAIN EDUCATION PAGE
