Dog training: Housebreaking is quick and easy if you follow these simple rules.
By Dennis Fisher.
Dog training should begin the moment you bring the pup into your home. Not serious training of course, but basic training in what you consider to be acceptable good manners.
With gentle but firm handling your pup will soon learn what is expected of him.
It’s important to remember, when you reprimand your pup, the correction must be associated with the unacceptable act. In housebreaking him, for example, it is essential to correct him immediately you find him misbehaving.
It’s pointless taking him to a spot you find later, pointing to it and reprimanding him in a loud disapproving voice. Or even worse, rubbing his nose in it.
Of course he is going to look “guilty”. You may gain the impression that he understands what he has done and this is why he looks guilty, but this is certainly not so.
If you intend your dog to be a housedog, when you bring the pup into your home for the first time it is essential for him to have a place that he can consider “his home”. Find a suitable place in the house. Provide suitable bedding of some sort – an old blanket, or towel – and let him know that this is where you expect him to lie.
HOUSEBREAKING
A young animal’s control of his functions is going to be weak. You cannot expect too much with regard to bladder control from a very young pup. If you live in a home where there is an outside garden, training will be very much easier.
AS soon as you see any evidence of the pup wanting to relieve itself, which will be very obvious by it’s behavior, pick it up firmly but gently, without grabbing it. Make disapproving sounds without being too harsh – “No, no, my dog! No my dog! Outside!” Carry him outside.
Watch the puppy while while it does it’s business. Then praise the pup very enthusiastically. “That’s a good dog!”
By watching the pup carefully, especially after it has eaten, the indication that it wants to relieve himself will be more and more obvious to you.
For the first week of two it might be necessary to be very attentive and watch carefully. But housebreaking is usually not a lengthy process and it certainly should not continue for more than two weeks.
Of course the process can be helped considerably if you feed your puppy at regular times and regular intervals and also in specific place. The pup should also be allowed to drink water at specific times. About an hour after feeding the puppy give it a bowl of water.
After the pup has had enough to drink it will not take long before the water starts to start taking effect. Within a half an hour after it has had sufficient water, the pup will want to relieve itself.
Water should not be freely available to a pup, but make sure that water is available at regular intervals. After the pup has finished drinking take the water away. Note, this does not apply to adult dogs. Mature dogs should have water available for them at all times
If you are still in the initial stages of housebreaking, you can take wait for your pup to show the telltale signs of wanting to relieve itself . Then continue with the process of picking the pup up before it has a chance to do so and take it quickly outside.
Alternatively, if you have passed this early stage, you can take the pup directly outside; wait for it to perform, then praise extravagantly
The procedure is slightly different if you live in an apartment and it is difficult to take the pup quickly outside. You can put down several layers of newspapers over a fairly wide area in a certain place in the house – preferably near the back door.
Wait for tell-tale signsthat it wants to relieve to itself. Then pick it up and place it on the newspapers. Use the same process of praising when the pup has finished
Place the papers near the door so that your puppy will learn to associate this as the place where it is required to go.
At a later stage you can even place some of the papers half under the door and half outside. Your puppy will soon get used to the idea of going to the door when he wants to relieve itself, even when there are no papers.
Obviously the idea of newspapers on the floor can be very convenient at night. A very young pup will want to relieve itself frequently during the night. It is also a good idea to restrict the pup at night to a certain area in your home, preferably the kitchen or bathroom, rather than let it have the run of the house.
At a later stage, when it has the run of the entire house, your puppy will soon get the idea of going on its own special area or will whine to go outside.
To find out a great deal more information about dog training and how to deal with various dog training problems, visit the following site:
http://www.expertfreeadvice.com/housebreaking.htm
Dennis Fisher has been involved with dogs for more than fifty years as a breeder, director of training at his dog club,competitor in obedience trials, and specialist dog judge. He has judged dogs in many parts of the world and is still actively involved in the show dog scene and obedience competitions. Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/dog-training-housebreaking-is-quick-and-easy-if-you-follow-these-simple-rules-787415.html