Dog House Training - How To House Train Your Dog

Author: John Clatts

House Training Your Dog

The absolute first thing you must train your dog to do is is housebreaking No, no, you don't teach your dog how to break into your house when you forget your keys. Housebreaking means he must learn where and when he may do his business. Besides being substantially advantageous to the hygiene of your household, dogs benefit from having rules and a routine - as pack animals, they look for duties issued by the pack leader and naturally enjoy keeping schedules. Here are the steps to housebreaking your dog

Dog House Training 1 - The best age to begin housebreaking your puppy is between 8 and 12 weeks old.

Dog House Training 2 - Experts suggest incorporating a crate in a young dog's training process. (To housebreak an older dog, skip this section.) A crate usually resembles a cage, with a locking door and see-through bars, and should be big enough for the dog to move around in. While it sounds like a miniature jail cell, crates should not be used to punish your puppy. The idea is to make the crate into a doggy bedroom - someplace where your puppy can play and sleep. He should never be confined in his crate for more than two hours at a time.

Dog House Training 3 - Because dogs, thank goodness, don't believe in eliminating by their sleeping areas, your puppy will not relieve himself in the crate unless you've cruelly locked him in there for longer than he was able to hold it in. Three-month old puppies generally need to eliminate every three hours, so lead your puppy to a designated outdoor bathroom spot often.

Dog House Training 4 - Try to always leave the house through the same door - the door you'd like your dog to scratch at to signal his need to go out in the future.

Dog House Training 5 - Try to take your dog out at around the same times each day. A routine will eventually be established, and your dog will soon know to hold it in until you take him out.

Dog House Training 6 - If your not-yet-housebroken dog is used to roaming freely around the house, look for clues that tell you he needs to go. Your dog may suddenly put his nose down and sniff the ground intently. He may begin to circle an area. Or, he may stare at the door with an intense look on his face. Signs like these tell you to drop what you're doing and get that dog out of the house. If you catch your dog doing his business inside (and only if you catch him - not after you discover he's already committed the crime), rush over and stop him by grasping his collar, pulling up on it, and saying, ""NO"" in a deep, stern voice. Then take him outside to let him finish up and praise him with pats on the head or a pleasantly chirped, ""Good Fido!"" when he does. (Note Don't say ""Fido"" if your dog's name is ""Rex."")

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