House Breaking your Puppy

[GSDOWNER]

Housebreaking Your Puppy


You're the proud owner of new puppy. Unfortunately, you are also the not so proud owner of a soggy living room carpet. It doesn't take long to realize this can't keep happening. So what do you do? It might just be time to housebreak your new pet.

Housebreaking may sound painful but relax. It really isn't all that difficult. It is your dog's natural tendency to want to keep its living area clean so once the home is firmly established in your pets mind the problem will be resolved. There are several ways you can assist the process to move faster.

The first thing you want to do is be sure your pet is healthy to start with. If your pet has not been to the vet already, make an appointment. Your dog should be checked for overall healthiness and for conditions that would make house training difficult, such as cystitis and kidney or bladder dysfunction. While your pet is visiting the veterinarian, ask to have them checked for worms and parasites also by way of a fecal exam. Also bear in mind the truthfulness behind mothers' wisdom when she said "You are what you eat." A poor quality dog food, in addition to contributing to a poor nutritional state, can cause digestive problems resulting in loose stools, thus contributing to your pup's inability to control itself.

The most important part of housebreaking your pet is close supervision. This is necessary because your puppy learns by repetition. If you see your dog showing signs of needing to relieve itself, then immediate action must be taken to get the animal outside to its designated area. Consistency in training is critical. Do not think being lax because it's cold or dark outside is acceptable or your pet will adopt these same attitudes.
Close supervision during housebreaking is also necessary because it gives you time to learn your dogs special quirks such as needing to urinate right after eating or a certain action they take prior to soiling the floor so you can watch for these actions and respond in the future. Also it allows you to correct a situation while it is still fresh in the dogs mind. While being very intelligent creatures, short term memory is not the strong point for most animals of this species and correcting them after more than a few minutes have passed serves no real purpose.

Another key to Housebreaking is giving your dog a limited amount of space. Baby gates across doorways or a pet crate help to make a more confined area and help your pet to recognize this as his living space. Their natural tendency is to go outside of their own living space to urinate so making this association for your pet will make your job easier. Lining this space with old news papers is a good idea at first as it facilitates a much easier cleanup of any accidents your pet might have. Also be aware that some surfaces are more pet-friendly than others. Try to confine your new pet to areas of the home with tiled or vinyl floors which are much easier to clean. Avoid letting them have access to carpet or hardwood floors which retain odors and can be extensively damaged by an errant pup.

Remember to limit the amount of water your dog has access to at the end of the day as you will otherwise be making a walk with your pet in the middle of the night. A quick walk outside at regularly timed intervals is advisable to training as this helps your pet to set an internal schedule. Be certain to use a consistent keyword to tell your pet why you are out in the yard such as "potty" or "toilet" or anything you choose and do not return indoors until they have relieved themselves. Also remember to give praise when your dog relieves itself in appropriate places such as on newspapers or outdoors.
Again consistent training is the key. If your pet does have an accident indoors, correct the animal immediately and then clean the area using non-ammonia based products. Instead use an Enzyme based deodorizer to clean the area and be sure to remove all odor of the accident or the animal will repeat the behavior again.

If you follow these simple rules, your carpets and your new pet should be able to coexist peacefully and relatively free from stress.


Dog Article courtesy of I-Love-Dogs.com

[chrisly]

Hi Georges mum!

Advice please...

We've had Zeus 3 weeks now (he is 13 weeks old) and having had dogs before and house trained them I have done all the watching, putting outside etc. He will go outside if the door is left open and if in the shut in the kitchen he will use the newspaper. But if anywhere else in the house he just heads for the nearest rug (we have laminate flooring throughout most of the downstairs). I understand the soft rug - he prefers the grass outside anyway. So I have decided to "crate" him (I resorted to this with my last choc lab who refused to be house trained and it worked a treat) however Zeus is complaining long and hard when I shut him in it (my neighbours have been brilliant but I'm worried that their patience will run out soon). It has been a den for a week so he is used to it, and its full of treats (read the books lol). He is only left for short periods to get him used to it but how long should it take before he "happily" settles in it??? My partner Chris has always had his GSD's outside and therefore hasnt experienced house training with them...

Thanks,
Lynne
ps Zeus says hi (or is it "let me out of here" )

Hi,

Im having problems with my puppy pintxo. He refuses to eliminate outside. 3 times i have grabbed him just before he was about to defecate, taken him outside but then he just sits there. I have tried walking him around the block so he can sniff out his own place, different surfaces etc but he just wont go. Last night i waited for 45mins for him to go, we came back inside and within 1 minute he had gone on the hallway floor.
I even scraped up his pooh and put it outside where i want him to go and he just sniffs it then ignores it.


Both his parents are working dogs so he grew up in an outdoor kennel in a yard so he isnt scared of being outside.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Tysons mum]

My pup Tyson is 10 weeks old today and we have been crate training since the first day. This has proved brilliant, he hasn't messed in his crate once, so has stayed clean during the night.

Also from the first day he has been letting us know when he needs to go outside and everytime he goes out he goes 'toilet'.

Now and again though he will take himself to the dining room and wee in there. Yesterday was a particular strange day as he was taken out lots in the garden and did a wee every time but then kept coming back in and within couple of minutes took himself to the dining room. He did about 8 wees in an hour! He was very excitable during this time so wonder if this has something to do with it.

I understand as he is still very young there will be accidents but just get confused as to why sometimes he just goes in dining room.

hmm...

Hi there, we have had Max from 8 weeks, he's now 17 weeks and it was so hard for the first month. He would just go anywhere, would'nt take to newspaper just thought it was a toy to rip up, every morning our downstairs was covered in puddles even without water the night before. Really did'nt like the idea of the crates so just had to persevere!!!
That lasted for a good 3 to 4 weeks, i have to say now he is amazing. He will go and sit at the back door to tell us he needs to go and he's going out at 11.30 at night then he's fine till his walk about 7am.
Its my first GSD so dont know too much about differant tecniques or time scales for house breaking, but im glad we got there in the end! And the missus is off my back about the carpets now!

Probably the most important thing about house training is hygine,..I am not saying anyone isnt hyginic, what I am saying is that the spot where the pup wets,..i.e. on the rug, doesnt just have to be cleaned up, but `really` cleaned.

If a pup can smell where he went to last time,. he will certainly go to the same spot the next time,..or onto the same rug

Try lifting the rugs for a short while and see what happens

[Sassysmum]

Originally Posted by Stuart

Probably the most important thing about house training is hygine,..I am not saying anyone isnt hyginic, what I am saying is that the spot where the pup wets,..i.e. on the rug, doesnt just have to be cleaned up, but `really` cleaned.

If a pup can smell where he went to last time,. he will certainly go to the same spot the next time,..or onto the same rug

Try lifting the rugs for a short while and see what happens

Definately agree, the best thing to use for cleaning up any accident is Bio washing powder avoid bleach and discinfectants or any other amonia based products as this can encourage toileting in the same place.

DO NOT Tell off either as you'll end up with a pup that toilets out of sight usually when you've gone to bed or behind ya sofa because if it goes in front of you, you're gonna tel lit off. Praise and reward for going outside and do not leave outside unattended as you'll never know if they've "been" or not!

[gypsyd]

take a pup out every ten to fifteen mins to toilet - if they do something lots and lots of praise. verbal and a treat

patience is needed and u really need to verbally praise the dog this was something i did with kane and got right lol i still say Good Boy and he knows hes done right. I stand by the door - I know I know - its cold but atleast u know your dog has toileted esp if u r going out somewhere.

He soon learnt and he to is crated and never once messed or wet his crate. Do not scold the dog if he does a whoppsie indoors just take him out and he will soon learn

clean the mess up with pet disinfectants you can buy speical ones for dogs that dont leave odours. i used pet disinfectant from tescos or pets at home these do not leave the scents that normal wipes may do. using dettox wipes or non pet friendly cleaners makes them re wet in the same area on the smell of the wipes or floor cleaner

PATIENCE AND TAKING THEM OUT FREQUENTLY AND PRAISE WORKS honest