House Training Your Puppy

House training your new puppy can be easy and effective if you dedicate the necessary time and patience. A successful plan includes supervision, confinement and encouragement. With these elements most pups can be trained in a relatively short period of time.

The use of a crate is generally an excellent idea for most puppies. If you are not going to crate your puppy, confine it to one area at first. This gives your dog a greater sense of security when you are not home and minimizes damage. Over time with successful training your dog can be allowed more access to the house.

Tips for house training:

• Take the puppy to a desired area outside immediately on awakening, immediately after playing, 15-30 minutes after food, and optimally every 1-2 hours.
• Maintain regular feeding times and take food up after 30 minutes.
• Permit sniffing outside and let your puppy concentrate in one area.
• Allow play and interaction AFTER elimination.
• REWARD your puppy after elimination, both verbally and physically.

No puppy has ever been house trained without making a mistake or two. Punishment is the least effective and most overused approach to house training. A correction should involve a startling distraction such as a clap or stomp of the foot. Then immediately take your pup to its elimination area outdoors to finish and praise your puppy. A correction that occurs more than a few seconds after elimination is useless because your puppy will not understand why it is being corrected.

With a little patience and a consistent approach your puppy will be as house trained as the rest of your family, maybe more.