Bringing a new puppy home can be one of the most exciting things your family ever gets to experience. While you love your adorable bundle of fur, however, it doesn’t come without some challenges. One of the biggest challenges of a new puppy is teaching him when and where to use the bathroom. You don’t want your new dog urinating all over the house but this is what a young puppy is going to be inclined to do without the proper training.
Here are four different puppy housetraining techniques you can use to get your pup adjusted:
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Bell training
Some people have found that bell training works well for teaching a new puppy not to go in the house. You can hang a string of bells on the door you want your dog to use to go out. Make sure for a small pup, the bells come down low enough for your puppy to reach them. Then, teach your puppy to ring the bells when he needs to be let out. You can do this by first ringing the bells each time you take your dog out to potty. He will then associate the ringing of the bell with going out.
Crate training
Crate training can be used for a variety of dog training purposes, potty training included. The reasoning behind crate training is that dogs do not like to go where they sleep. So if you get a crate that is just big enough to be a bed, then the puppy won’t go in it. Whenever your dog is left alone for a period of time in the home, he should be in the crate. You should crate him overnight as well. But he sure to take him out often during the day and in the hours that you are watching him and playing with him. Take him out and show him where you want him to go. Give him ample time to go there. But when he’s alone, or overnight, put him in the crate.
Paper/pad training
Some people use puppy pads or newspaper as a way of training their new puppies. Pretreated pads will have a scent that attracts the puppy and encourages him to urinate there. You can place these in the home in the area you want your dog to go. This will start training your puppy to recognize the urge to go and how to do it in the right place.
Regulated Training
This is nothing more than taking your dog out at a set time. This includes taking him out first thing in the morning when he wakes up, anytime you take him out of his crate, 30 minutes after he eats, and right before bed. You also have to watch for his signals that he’s ready to outside. Have a set location outside for him to use the restroom. Be sure to let him know when does have accidents in the house that it is wrong by showing it to him and telling him NO in a stern, but loving manner. Reward him with lots of praise and even treats when he does use the restroom outside. Eventually, he will ask to go outside by getting your attention and running to the door.
You might try one technique and find that it doesn’t really work for your puppy or your family. But then you may try another and find it takes off beautifully! There are different ways of doing things and once you find what works for you and your family, you’ll get your new puppy trained in no time.
No matter what technique you choose, be sure you give your new puppy lots of praise when he’s doing it right. Dogs want to please their owners and he will benefit so much more from your praise of something is done right, than scolding when he does wrong. Good luck and have fun!
Which technique have you found to work best for you and puppy training your puppy?
