Puppy Housebreaking
Puppies are always a wonderful addition to any family, but of course no family enjoys the process of puppy housebreaking! Unlike children, you really can't keep your puppy in a diaper until he or she learns control and proper bathroom habits. And of course sometimes puppies are more difficult to catch then small children, making it even more difficult to take him or her outside when the need to go!
However puppy housebreaking is not an impossibility and many families are very successful with it, even if does take some time and patience. Here are some quick tips to make it as painless and as simple as possible for your family.
Be Consistent
One thing you must remember about puppy housebreaking is that you must be consistent. Dogs learn through repetition; they associate an action of theirs with a reaction from you, and this is what trains them to do something good or avoid something bad. So if you are inconsistent with your training then they never learn where to relieve themselves.
This can be difficult if you've had a long day and don't want to deal with a mess waiting for you in the other room, but it's imperative. Every time you skip an episode of training, you need to start your puppy housebreaking from the beginning. This will just make it take longer and no doubt confuse and irritate your puppy as well.
So be consistent. Work at it each and every day and with every accident. If you don't, they won't understand that they can never relieve themselves in the house and this will make training more difficult and frustrating for everyone.
Reward Good Behavior
Remember that puppy housebreaking is not just about avoiding the things they shouldn't do; a puppy needs to learn where and when he or she should be relieving themselves. This means that every time your dog goes outside for their business, they need to be rewarded. They will associate that reward or a good thing with doing what you expect of them.
Rewarding good behavior can mean a treat and it can mean praise as well. A few "good boy," "good girl," or other words with some scratches behind the ears and a vigorous petting can be enough for your puppy to associate their behavior with something good. You can even take a few minutes to play with your puppy as well so that he or she associates being outside and in the yard with something good as well.
It can be difficult to stay patient when you go through puppy housebreaking but it's necessary. Remember that your puppy will make mistakes and won't get the message the first time you try to train him or her. Being patient will make consistency much easier so that you won't be tempted to skip an opportunity for housebreaking. It will also mean looking forward to giving your puppy the reward he or she deserves for a job well done!
