Category: Training

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How to House Break a Puppy or Young Dog: Toilet Training for Puppies

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Careful training at an early age is the key to having a socially-adept, friendly and well-behaved dog in later life. However, many people feel confused by the difficulties a puppy can cause, and are not sure how to go about house-breaking their new pet.

The First Principle of House Breaking

The objective of house-breaking is to teach your puppy from a very early age that it is not acceptable to mess indoors. This is a daunting task, as a young puppy has no idea why it is wrong to wee on the carpet, and therefore will not understand initially why it is OK to go to the toilet outside, but not indoors.

The first principle of having a well-adjusted, secure and happy puppy is to start crate training. A crate is a large metal-framed ‘cage’ with a warm bed in it, which is secure, well-ventilated and safe. All major pet retailers sell them. The crate has a number of benefits:

  • Gives much-needed peace to the owner when the puppy gets to be too much
  • Encourages the puppy to learn to be alone, making future separation anxiety unlikely
  • Offers the pup a safe, cozy and inviolable space which is just for him
  • Offers the basics needed for effective house-breaking.

To crate train, put the crate in a safe warm place and line half of it with paper of a puppy pad, and half with a lovely cozy bed. Lock the puppy in at night when it is time to sleep. Get him used to it as a warm space which is all his own. Never use the crate as a punishment. In a few days, the pup will learn that his bed in the crate is a great thing, and choose to go there by himself rather than being told to! It is impossible to underestimate the usefulness of a crate – the pup can go in if an owner has to pop out for a while, and it keeps him feeling secure and happy.

Starting to House-Break

Here are the rules of simple house-training.

Keep the pup in a small enclosed area from ages 0 – 8 weeks. The kitchen is perfect for this as lino is easy to clean! Keep the crate in the kitchen too. Put a puppy pad or newspaper down by the door, and spray it with a special training aid, which makes the pad smell irresistible for the pup to use.

  • Praise the pup every time he goes on the pad or paper, and ignore any accidents (these are inevitable, don’t draw any attention to them at all)
  • Clean up any mess as soon as possible after it has been done
  • By 10 weeks, the pup should be in control of his bladder and bowel to the extent that he can use the pad when required.

Treat all messes on the carpet or floor with a spray designed to eliminate odour, to prevent reoccurrence in the same place.

Training From 3 Months Onwards

  • After the pup has had all his vaccinations, he can start to go outside on a lead. When he wakes up first thing in the morning, go straight to him, let him out of the crate and take him out without delay
  • Wait until he does his business outside, and shower him with praise
  • Repeat this twenty minutes after each meal or drink, when he wakes up, first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

Gradually, the pup will learn that outside wees are good, and inside ones are not good.

Pups are usually highly intelligent, clean and desperate to please their owners. By using praise and encouragement each time the pup does well, the messages will gradually sink in and he will be house-broken. At twelve weeks, with the use of a single pad by the door, the puppy will be sufficiently trained to ensure no more messes in the wrong places.

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Beginning Training for a Dog

From the time a dog steps foot into a home, a training regime should be implemented. Having order lets the dog know that it can’t have free reign.

Being a firm, but understanding, leader is important. Cesar Millan sums up what all beginning trainers should remember, “Don’t be aggressive, be dominant.”

Potty Training

The dreaded bathroom training is the best place to start. Make sure to use a leash, as it helps to keep the dog from getting distracted and wasting time.

Make a designated spot for eliminating. Find a tree or plot that will be its “bathroom” so it will go there every time, which also makes clean up easier.

If the dog has an accident inside, don’t get upset and punish. Clean up the mess and put the dog in a crate for a little alone time. This will teach it that it is not good, but not that the dog is bad.

Leash Training

Many people can think that leash training can be almost not worth trying, but it is does result in a well-behaved walker.

Leash pulling is the number one problem. Start training in an area where the dog won’t find distractions easily. Use treats to keep it at your side, and stop walking if it starts to tug.

Mix up the walk by the pace and the direction. This will keep the pup alert and ready to follow you, instead of it leading you.

Bark Training

Barking can be a nuisance, but attended to early enough, it can be controlled. Some breeds are prone to barking because it is in their genetics, so training them might take some extra time.

Find what instigates the barking, then keep track of how long it takes for the dog to calm down. This will help identify what to really focus on.

Be firm but not harsh when reprimanding. Don’t hit or scream, and definitely don’t give up if the dog won’t stop.

Keep an ear out for when the dog isn’t yelping. This is a good time to praise for good behavior and will help the dog understand that quiet is preferred in the household.

Jumping Training

Some dogs look adorable when they get jumpy, but others could knock you down. Teaching a dog not to tackle you or anyone else will save you a lot of trouble.

Stay consistent, even if it means the dog can’t play “jump up” with your family. Let every visitor have the option to know that turning away from the dog is okay, and that it will encourage them to stop leaping up.

Use a leash if the dog if comfortable, because a leash will be a firm force to tell the dog “no” without being mean.

Stopping a jumper will take time, but invest as much time as possible, and make sure to introduce various situations so they will be ready for anything.

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Training Your New Puppy: How to Teach a Young Dog Basic Commands

There are some basic behaviors that need to be taught to a new puppy and reinforced throughout the first few months they are settling into a new home. The most important of these is house-training, especially if you plan on keeping you puppy in an apartment.

Training Basics

The first thing you need to do is teach the puppy its name. Have a name picked out when you bring the puppy home and call it by its name all the time, rewarding it with attention and praise when it responds. Training needs to start as soon as the puppy is settled. You can decide to train the puppy yourself, or go to an obedience training school. If your puppy is not house broken, you will need to do so yourself. The only thing you need for training is time, about fifteen minutes a day, consistency and something to treat the puppy with when it does something right.

Reward and Punishment

Dogs can be trained to obey multiple commands and perform tricks too. The only reason they will do so, however, is because they want to. You can’t force a dog to learn a command, so figure out early how to make it worth his or her while to put up with training. Most trainers will have small food pellets (cat or dog) that the dog will be given when it obeys a command, but you can also train using a toy instead.

Make sure you nip bag behavior in the bud, since bad habits are very hard to break. Be consistent in your methods, and make sure the same person is training the puppy every day. Don’t mistreat or hit the puppy when it does something wrong, that will only make it scared of you and is not an effective way to train a puppy.

House-Training

If your puppy is not house-trained make sure that is the first training you do. The puppy will have a small bowel and bladder and needs to “go” every few hours. Be prepared for a few accidents before the training catches on.

To start with, take the puppy out after every meal, and every time it wakes up or finishes playing. If you see the puppy sniffing the ground and/or pawing it, take it out immediately. Over time, the puppy will start telling you when it needs to go outside by standing in front of the door.

To stop the puppy from eliminating in the house at night, confine it to a pen that is just large enough for it to stand and turn around in. The puppy won’t eliminate in such a small area since it has to sleep there too. Just make sure someone lets the puppy out early in the morning.

Behavioral Problems

Some owners allow bad habits to form, and then put the dog up for adoption as they can’t deal with it. While it may be cute to allow a puppy to jump all over you, or sit on your favorite couch, you have to remember that this puppy is going to grow into a full-sized dog. Do not allow your puppy to pick up any habits you don’t want it to have when it’s older.

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How to Stop Dogs Chewing Inappropriate Items

As any dog owner will know, most puppies (as well as some adult dogs) left alone in the home will be likely to find something to chew on that is either inappropriate or damages the item. Clearly, prevention is better than cure, but to avoid having to keep every shoe, sock or book out of reach, it is worth training one’s dog on which items are fair game and which must be left alone.

How to Stop Dogs Chewing Inappropriate Items – Anti-Chew Spray

When puppies or adult dogs get into the habit of chewing whatever they fancy, it does not take long for one small dog to cause complete chaos within the family home. Therefore, it is best to put a lid on such unhelpful behaviour, as early as possible, to avoid it becoming habitual. One method to prevent dogs from chewing shoes is to simply head to the nearest pet store and purchase a special dog anti-chew spray.

Dog anti-chew sprays are cheap, easy and convenient to use and far less expensive than having to buy new slippers, socks and shoe-laces on a regular basis. Before purchasing an anti-chew spray, always make sure it is non-toxic and safe for both pets and younger members of the family. The idea of using an anti-chew spray is that once it has been sprayed on a pair of slippers and the dog tries to have a chew, it will taste rather unpleasant, making it unappealing and very unlikely to be touched again.

Training Dogs Not to Chew on Inappropriate Items

As an alternative method to using anti-chew sprays, there are some very simple training steps that can help, according to Davis in Dog Basics, which include:

  • Throwing a rattle pot near the chewing dog to interrupt chewing
  • Simply shake a rattle pot if dog very sensitive
  • Quickly replace item with a chewable toy or chew treat
  • Encourage the dog to take this alternative item
  • Give the dog an activity toy filled with tasty treats to keep entertained

If none of the above methods works to stop dogs from chewing up items, then the best way to get them to stop is to always keep any shoes or slipper out of harm’s reach, either in the porch or in a cupboard. Some dogs chew when they have dental problems, so it is also worth getting a dog’s teeth checked out by the vet.

As highlighted above, training dogs not to chew up the home, will save a fortune on having to replace destroyed items. Key methods include using dog anti-chew sprays, activity toys filled with treats an interrupting chewing with a rattle pot, followed by replacing the item with something fun.

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Dog Training: Tips on Working with Your Dog

Without the proper training and instruction, puppies can grow into ill-behaved dogs. Behaviors need to be modified, eliminated and instilled in order to create a companion who is a pleasure to live with (versus a curse) as most dogs live a decade or longer.

  • Dogs seek a strong pack leader. That needs to be you. You are the leader, not the dog!
  • Make it clear that certain behaviors, such as chewing on everything in its path or using your carpet as its bathroom or incessantly barking, are not acceptable and will not be tolerated. Discourage these with a strong, firm voice, hand clapping or by withholding attention or affection. Even better if you can discourage the negative behaviors at the first sign of the dog engaging in the behavior. For example, walking over to the shoes in order to chew, sniffing for a place to urinate, etc.
  • Reward positive behaviors, such as going to the bathroom outside, sitting and staying, letting go of specific items, with treats and with verbal praise. At first use snacks as dogs respond favorably with treats. But this cannot be your only method of reward. First, the dog will come to expect the treat and second, there may come a time when you do not have a snack handy.
  • Reinforce training on a regular basis. Every moment with a pet can be a teaching moment. Pat and praise good behaviors, even ones you did not command the dog to do.
  • Be consistent. Every time a negative action or behavior occurs, repeat the training.
  • Use verbal and action cues. Certain words and hand gestures can be linked. If your dog cannot hear you but can still see you he or she will have a second reference cue.
  • Again, you are the boss!
  • Over time, teach others how to interact with your dog. This is helpful for family members, friends, house guests and other visitors who are around your pet.
  • Decide which commands and behaviors are most important to you. Tricks may be nice but are of no use if your dog will not sit, stay, refrain from jumping or eating everything in sight.
  • Useful commands and behaviors include: come, down, heel, leave it, loose-leash walking, off, settle, sit, stand, stay and wait.
  • If you are unsure where to begin, ask your veterinarian, an associate at your local pet store, friends and family members who have well-behaved dogs or contact your local shelter or human society or check out books from the library.