House training is one of those issues that every dog owner must grapple with. In most cases house training is the first major milestone in the relationship between owner and dog, and it can sometimes be difficult and confusing for owner and dog alike. The best house training procedures are those that use the dog's own instincts to the owner's advantage. These strategies take into account the dog's reluctance to soil the spots where he eats and sleeps. This is the concept behind den training and crate training. Dogs are very clean animals, and in nature they always avoid using their dens as toilet areas. These kinds of natural training methods generally work very well, for both puppies and older dogs. Naturally, older, larger dogs will need a larger area for their den, and crate training is generally best used for puppies and small dogs.
When house training a dog or a puppy, however, it is important to pay close attention to the signals the dog is sending. It is also important to be consistent when it comes to feeding times, and to provide the dog with ready access to the toilet area you establish on a regular basis.
It is important as well to never try to rush the process of house training. While some dogs are naturally easier to train, most puppies and adult dogs will experience at least one or two slip ups during the house training process.
When these accidents occur, it is important to not get mad and punish the dog. Accidents during house training usually mean that the owner is trying to move too fast, or that the dog has been left alone for too long. In this case, it is best to just take a step back and start the process again.
It is also important for the owner to reward the dog enthusiastically when it does its business in the appointed area. The dog should learn to associate doing its business in its toilet area with good things like treats, rewards and praise.
During the house training process, the den area starts out very small, often as small as half of a small room in the beginning. As the dog learns to control his bladder and bowels better, and the owner learns to anticipate the dog's toilet needs, the den area can be slowly expanded. It is important not to make the den area too large too soon.
The den area must be expanded slowly in order for the house training process to move along smoothly.It is important for the dog to be properly introduced to its den. Many dogs, particularly those who have never been confined before, such as those who have spent their lives as outdoor dogs, may react to the den area as if it is a prison, and constantly whine, cry and try to escape the den. It is important that the dog learn to accept its den as a home and not a cage.
One problem many dog owners overlook when house training a dog is that of boredom. Boredom is actually the root cause of many behavior problems in dogs, including chewing and other destructive behaviors. Boredom can also be the root cause of problems with house training. Dogs that are bored often consume large amounts of water during the day, and this excess water consumption can lead to the need to urinate often, even in its den area.
Since soiling the den area goes against the dog's nature, he can quickly become confused and frightened, thereby setting the house training program back even further. To prevent the dog from becoming bored when you are away from home, be sure to provide him with lots of different kinds of toys, as well as a safe and secure place to sleep. In addition, a vigorous period of play time can help the dog sleep while you are away.
In addition, playing with the dog in its den area will help him bond with this area and recognize it as a safe, secure home.
Next: Teaching your dog to win confidence and respect.
Showing posts with label House training your dog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label House training your dog. Show all posts
Saturday, 27 January 2007
Sunday, 14 January 2007
House training your dog
House training is one of the most important elements of creating a well trained dog and trusted family member. Problems with house training and similar issues are the number one reason that dogs are surrendered to shelters, so properly house training your dog can literally save his or her life.
House training a puppy does not need to be difficult, but it is important to take the process seriously, plan ahead and take things slowly. Some dogs will be easier to house break than others, so it important to work with your dog. Rushing the process can be counterproductive and cause you to have to start all over again.
When it comes to house training a new puppy, it is important to know what to expect. Unless the owner is able to supervise the puppy round the clock, it is difficult to complete the house training process until the dog is at least six months old. It is important to know this ahead of time so you can be prepared. Young puppies have bodies that are constantly changing and growing, and puppies younger than six months often have not developed the bowel and bladder control they will need to be properly house trained.
When the owner is not at home, the puppy should be confined to a small room and the entire floor should be covered with paper. Of course it is important to puppy-proof the room, that is removing any items on which the puppy could be injured. In the beginning, the puppy will most likely eliminate anywhere within the room. In addition, the puppy will probably play with the papers, chew them, etc. This is perfectly normal and should not be grounds for punishment or distress.
Cleaning up each day should simply be part of the routine of living with a new puppy. Simply clean up the soiled papers and put down new ones each day.
Time for paper training
During the time that the puppy is confined in its little den, it will begin to develop the habit of eliminating on paper. After a little time has passed, the puppy will begin to exhibit a preferred place to eliminate. After this preferred spot has been established, the area that is papered should be slowly diminished. The first papers to be removed should be those that are furthest away from the "toilet". Eventually, the owner will have to lay down only a few papers. If the puppy ever misses those papers, it means that the papered area has been reduced too much and too soon.
After the puppy is reliability doing its business only on the papers that have been left, the papers can be slowly and gradually moved to a location of your choice. The papers should be moved only gradually, as little as an inch a day. If the puppy misses the papers, again it means that they have been moved too soon and too far. In this case it will be necessary to go back a few steps and start over. It is important not to become discouraged. The puppy will eventually understand the concept, and you will be able to choose your puppies toilet area and move on to the next step.
House training when the owner is home
Obviously the more time you can spend with your puppy the faster the house training will go. The objective should be to take the puppy to the toilet area every time he needs to do his business. In most cases this will be either every 45 minutes, right after each play session, after he first wakes up or right after he eats or drinks. It is important to provide effusive praise for the puppy when he eliminates in the established toilet area.
As the puppy becomes more used to using his toilet area, and as he develops improved bladder and bowel control, he will be able to begin spending more and more time outside his den with his owner in the rest of the home. It is important to begin this process by allowing the puppy access to one room at a time. It is also important to allow the puppy in the extra room only when he can be supervised. When you must leave the room, be sure to put the puppy back in his den.
The following topic will be Crate training.
House training a puppy does not need to be difficult, but it is important to take the process seriously, plan ahead and take things slowly. Some dogs will be easier to house break than others, so it important to work with your dog. Rushing the process can be counterproductive and cause you to have to start all over again.
When it comes to house training a new puppy, it is important to know what to expect. Unless the owner is able to supervise the puppy round the clock, it is difficult to complete the house training process until the dog is at least six months old. It is important to know this ahead of time so you can be prepared. Young puppies have bodies that are constantly changing and growing, and puppies younger than six months often have not developed the bowel and bladder control they will need to be properly house trained.
When the owner is not at home, the puppy should be confined to a small room and the entire floor should be covered with paper. Of course it is important to puppy-proof the room, that is removing any items on which the puppy could be injured. In the beginning, the puppy will most likely eliminate anywhere within the room. In addition, the puppy will probably play with the papers, chew them, etc. This is perfectly normal and should not be grounds for punishment or distress.
Cleaning up each day should simply be part of the routine of living with a new puppy. Simply clean up the soiled papers and put down new ones each day.
Time for paper training
During the time that the puppy is confined in its little den, it will begin to develop the habit of eliminating on paper. After a little time has passed, the puppy will begin to exhibit a preferred place to eliminate. After this preferred spot has been established, the area that is papered should be slowly diminished. The first papers to be removed should be those that are furthest away from the "toilet". Eventually, the owner will have to lay down only a few papers. If the puppy ever misses those papers, it means that the papered area has been reduced too much and too soon.
After the puppy is reliability doing its business only on the papers that have been left, the papers can be slowly and gradually moved to a location of your choice. The papers should be moved only gradually, as little as an inch a day. If the puppy misses the papers, again it means that they have been moved too soon and too far. In this case it will be necessary to go back a few steps and start over. It is important not to become discouraged. The puppy will eventually understand the concept, and you will be able to choose your puppies toilet area and move on to the next step.
House training when the owner is home
Obviously the more time you can spend with your puppy the faster the house training will go. The objective should be to take the puppy to the toilet area every time he needs to do his business. In most cases this will be either every 45 minutes, right after each play session, after he first wakes up or right after he eats or drinks. It is important to provide effusive praise for the puppy when he eliminates in the established toilet area.
As the puppy becomes more used to using his toilet area, and as he develops improved bladder and bowel control, he will be able to begin spending more and more time outside his den with his owner in the rest of the home. It is important to begin this process by allowing the puppy access to one room at a time. It is also important to allow the puppy in the extra room only when he can be supervised. When you must leave the room, be sure to put the puppy back in his den.
The following topic will be Crate training.
Saturday, 13 January 2007
Dog training - house training your dog
Dog training - house training your dog
House training is one of the most important parts of training any dog to be a valued part of the family. As with many other aspects of dog training, the best way to house train a dog is to use the dog's own nature to your benefit.
The great thing about dogs, and the thing that can make house training much easier, is that dogs are instinctively very clean animals. Dogs would rather not soil the areas where they sleep and eat. In addition, dogs are very good at developing habits regarding where they like to urinate and defecate. For example, dogs that are used to eliminating on concrete or gravel will prefer to eliminate there rather than on grass or dirt.
It is possible to use these natural canine habits when house training your dog.
Setting up the training area.
The first step in house training your dog is to set up your training area. A small, confined space such as a bathroom, or part of a kitchen or garage, works best as a training area. This method of training differs from crate training. Crate training is great for puppies and small dogs, but many larger dogs find a crate too confining.
It is important for the owner to spend as much time in the training area with his or her dog as possible. It is important for the owner to play with the dog in the training area, and to let the dog eat and sleep in that area. The dog should be provided with a special bed in the training area, anything from a store bought bed to a large towel or a large box.
At first, the dog may eliminate in this area, but once the dog has recognized it as his or her own space, he or she will be reluctant to soil it. After the dog has gotten used to sleeping in the bed, the owner can move it around the house, relocating it from room to room. When you are not with your dog, the dog should be confined to the training area.
Setting up the toilet area.
The second part of house training is to set up the toilet area for the dog. It is important for the dog to have access to this place every time he or she needs to eliminate. It is also important for the owner to accompany the dog each time until he or she gets into the habit of eliminating in the toilet area. This will ensure that the dog uses only the established toilet area.
A set feeding schedule makes the house training process a lot easier for both the owner and the dog. Feeding the dog on a regular basis will also create a regular schedule for the dog's toilet habits. Once you know when your dog is likely to need to eliminate, it will be simple to guide the dog to the established toilet area. Once the dog has established a toilet area and is using it on a regular basis, it is very important to not confine the dog without access to the toilet area for long periods of time. That is because if the dog is unable to hold it, he or she may be forced to eliminate in the training area. This habit can make house training much more difficult.
Continuing the house training process
After the dog is consistently eliminating in the toilet area and not soiling the training area, it is time to extend that training area to the rest of the home. This process should be done slowly, starting with one room and slowly expanding to the rest of the house. The area should only be extended once you are sure of the dog's ability to control its bladder and bowels. When you first expand the training area to a single room, let the dog eat, play and sleep in that room, but only when supervised.
When it is not possible to supervise the dog, place it back in the original training area. Then, after the dog has accepted the room as an extension of the original training area, the area can be extended.
Speeding up the process
If this process is too lengthy for your needs, it can be speeded up, but it is important to proceed cautiously. It is easier to take your time up front than to retrain a problem dog later. One way to successfully speed up house training is to praise and reward the dog each and every time it uses the established toilet area. It is also important not to punish the dog for mistakes. Punishment will only confuse the dog and slow down the house training process.
House training is one of the most important parts of training any dog to be a valued part of the family. As with many other aspects of dog training, the best way to house train a dog is to use the dog's own nature to your benefit.
The great thing about dogs, and the thing that can make house training much easier, is that dogs are instinctively very clean animals. Dogs would rather not soil the areas where they sleep and eat. In addition, dogs are very good at developing habits regarding where they like to urinate and defecate. For example, dogs that are used to eliminating on concrete or gravel will prefer to eliminate there rather than on grass or dirt.
It is possible to use these natural canine habits when house training your dog.
Setting up the training area.
The first step in house training your dog is to set up your training area. A small, confined space such as a bathroom, or part of a kitchen or garage, works best as a training area. This method of training differs from crate training. Crate training is great for puppies and small dogs, but many larger dogs find a crate too confining.
It is important for the owner to spend as much time in the training area with his or her dog as possible. It is important for the owner to play with the dog in the training area, and to let the dog eat and sleep in that area. The dog should be provided with a special bed in the training area, anything from a store bought bed to a large towel or a large box.
At first, the dog may eliminate in this area, but once the dog has recognized it as his or her own space, he or she will be reluctant to soil it. After the dog has gotten used to sleeping in the bed, the owner can move it around the house, relocating it from room to room. When you are not with your dog, the dog should be confined to the training area.
Setting up the toilet area.
The second part of house training is to set up the toilet area for the dog. It is important for the dog to have access to this place every time he or she needs to eliminate. It is also important for the owner to accompany the dog each time until he or she gets into the habit of eliminating in the toilet area. This will ensure that the dog uses only the established toilet area.
A set feeding schedule makes the house training process a lot easier for both the owner and the dog. Feeding the dog on a regular basis will also create a regular schedule for the dog's toilet habits. Once you know when your dog is likely to need to eliminate, it will be simple to guide the dog to the established toilet area. Once the dog has established a toilet area and is using it on a regular basis, it is very important to not confine the dog without access to the toilet area for long periods of time. That is because if the dog is unable to hold it, he or she may be forced to eliminate in the training area. This habit can make house training much more difficult.
Continuing the house training process
After the dog is consistently eliminating in the toilet area and not soiling the training area, it is time to extend that training area to the rest of the home. This process should be done slowly, starting with one room and slowly expanding to the rest of the house. The area should only be extended once you are sure of the dog's ability to control its bladder and bowels. When you first expand the training area to a single room, let the dog eat, play and sleep in that room, but only when supervised.
When it is not possible to supervise the dog, place it back in the original training area. Then, after the dog has accepted the room as an extension of the original training area, the area can be extended.
Speeding up the process
If this process is too lengthy for your needs, it can be speeded up, but it is important to proceed cautiously. It is easier to take your time up front than to retrain a problem dog later. One way to successfully speed up house training is to praise and reward the dog each and every time it uses the established toilet area. It is also important not to punish the dog for mistakes. Punishment will only confuse the dog and slow down the house training process.
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