Isn’t it such a great feeling to get home with your new puppy or dog and everyone is so happy to see it, hold it, pet it, play with it, and they even fight over it, but wait, that is until the inevitable happens – it pees on your carpet! Then everyone scatters because no one is going to take ownership of the new pet under these circumstances. That would mean having to clean up the mess, so you get stuck cleaning it yourself. Needless to say, you immediately realize that it would be in your best interest to get the new family member potty trained as quickly as possible.
Potty training your dog is not as hard as people think, however, it does take patience and time, but most of all it takes commitment. However, once your furry friend is trained you will see that it was well worth the time you invested in it. I have two dogs and each time it took me less than a month to successfully potty train them, with practically no accidents in the house after the training process had started. I have had family and friends try it and it has worked for them as well.
· First and foremost, you need to get a dog crate. Crate training your dog as you potty train is essential in order for you to be successful. By nature dogs will not “take care of business” in the same space they sleep. Therefore, you start putting it in the crate every night when you go to sleep and whenever you are not going to be in the house. However, you must be very conscientious of the fact that your new friend, specially if it is a puppy, has a small “bladder in training” so you might have to get up in the middle of the night at first until it builds up its ability to “hold it.” The same holds true for day-time hours if you need to put it in the crate, try not to leave it in the crate for too many hours at a time. You can increase the time it spends in the crate gradually so “Puppy” can get used to it. When you are house breaking, it is important that you don’t leave your new friend unattended at any time, that way you can avoid accidents and watch for signs of it needing “to go.”
· Second, follow the most basic rule that goes with acquiring a new puppy, take it outside immediately after it wakes up from a nap and approximately half hour after eating. This is just a general “rule of thumb” so keep an eye on your pet, like people, all dogs are different and some may have “to go” sooner, or later, than the average.
· Third, be very consistent. Whenever you are going to take “Puppy” out, take it out the same door every time. That will teach your pet that this is the way to go out “to take care of business.” Believe me it works every time. Before you know it, when it needs to go out, it will be going to that door and will stand there until you take it outside.
· Fourth, we all know that what really makes this work is repetition. You repeat the same routine enough times your pet will follow it like clock work. So, take your new friend out every hour or so specially if it seems to be drinking a lot of water and put it on the grass, trying to take it to the same general vicinity every time. “Puppy” may not go every time, but at least by taking it out so often, it will eventually learn that outside is the place “to go.”
· Finally, always praise your furry friend when it has a successful trip outside. You can either carry small treats in your pocket so you can reward it immediately when it “goes” or you can bring it in the house and give it the treat inside (I prefer inside). “Puppy”will quickly learn that when it “take care of business” outside there is a treat waiting inside, but if they don’t do anything then hold off on the treat. I know you will be tempted to give it a treat anyways (I have been there!) but don’t give in. I am not a dog trainer by any means, but I do think that eventually the treat waiting inside may encourage it to go ahead and “do its thing” in order to get the treat.
If you enjoy dogs as much as I do, house breaking your new friend won’t seem like a chore, it can actually be fun. It is very rewarding when you see your new friend come running in the house, after a successful trip outside, and making a “bee line” for that one spot in the house where you keep the “good boy or girl” treats. That is the cute part, but on a more serious note, you will enjoy more your new friend knowing that you can trust your pet to roam around the house freely without having to worry about finding any surprises in the house, or worst yet, have guests find them!!
Guiding thoughts, guiding words, for guiding minds…….maribelclarissa
