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BRINGING UP PUPPY
PART 2
Adding a new puppy to our household has certainly changed
life around here.! But, what fun we
are having with Stoney (Sprincreek Everlore All Time Hi).
His constant smile and exuberance have brought so much sunshine to each
day.! At the request
Everything
Gold
en editor, Julie Caruthers, this article will continue to address some basic
puppy training issues for those surfing the site.
This month I will discuss housebreaking.
Remember, the information presented includes just
some of my thoughts ; others may have differing viewpoints.
HOUSE TRAINING TIPS
Several myths surround potty
training. These include:
Myth #1 : When you
find a “mistake” rub the puppy’s nose in it.
Never do this! You will
defeat your purpose , risk infecting the puppy, and possibly even encourage
stool consumption. Dogs use their
nose to scent and find the “perfect” place to eliminate.
Rubbing the puppy’s nose in a mistake only reinforces that “This is
my spot”.
Myth #2: When
you find a mess you should physically discipline the puppy and then ostracize
him for a good long time. Punishing
a puppy for having an accident accomplishes little towards housetraining and can
potentially cause more problems.
Myth #3: When
you find a mess, take the puppy to the area where elimination should occur and
scold the puppy. This is
backwards!!!! The puppy needs praise
and encouragement at the area where he is to eliminate, not punishment.
Myth #4: Training a
puppy to eliminate on papers will help teach him to eliminate outside.
I think this myth causes much confusion.
Puppies need a consistent approach to housetraining.
Teaching a puppy to eliminate on paper is a short cut and can backfire as
the puppy happily uses the Sunday comics as a toilet area before anyone has read
the paper. Transferring from paper
elimination to the outside can be accomplished, but it takes more time and
patience than if an outside area is used in the first place.
House training can be a simple procedure if approached correctly and
consistently from the very start. An
understanding of when the puppy may need to eliminate can help you avoid
accidents.
Some guidelines I use include:
1. Very young puppies should be
taken outside every 30-45 minutes.
As the puppy’s bladder matures and control increases, the time period
can be extended. (This
time period will vary from puppy to puppy,
but in general at 13 weeks of age, Stoney can go 1-1 ½ hours.) Those who work
and must crate the puppy should attempt
to come home mid-day to potty the puppy .If that is not possible, then it is
best to place the puppy in a crate or area that provides room for
elimination . (I do not leave
water with the pup when I am gone)
2. The pup should go outside immediately
after waking from a nap, a night’s sleep, or being left alone.
3. Take the puppy outside 5-10
minutes after eating. This helps
prevent accidents and provides the puppy with a “schedule of elimination”.
4. It is also wise to take the puppy
outside after a play period.
5. Most times the pup will need to
urinate shortly after drinking a large amount of water.
6. Often puppies will need to
eliminate when very excited or frightened.
Some signs and signals that your puppy may display when he needs to go
outside include:
1. Sniffing
2. Obvious
attempt to squat
3. Constant
activity/restlessness
4. Loitering
around a door.
5. Circling
6. Whining or
barking
Below are some guidelines and suggestions for successful
housetraining:
1. A consistent feeding schedule
helps promote success. Although you
should follow the recommendations of your vet, most often three feedings daily
are recommended until 3-4 months of age.
After that, feeding twice daily is usually sufficient.
Leaving food down constantly for a young pup often encourages accidents.
Water consumption should also be monitored.
Either small amounts can be placed in the water bowl, or water can be
offered at regular intervals rather than being left down all the time.
2. Respect your puppy’s biological
clock. Be alert to any signals
indicating the puppy needs to eliminate. You may need to take the pup out once
or twice during the night for the first several weeks.
Be fair and take the pup out so he can be successful from the start.
3. Establish a single outdoor
elimination area. This means that
you must consistently take the pup out to the same area every time he needs to
eliminate. Establishing a specific
area not only simplifies clean up, but ensures that you are there to praise the
pup when he does eliminate. Rather
than allowing the pup to roam all over the yard, keep him in the designated
area. (You can help the pup
recognize this established area by taking a cloth that you’ve used to clean up
and accident to the “potty area” and staking it down. The pup will smell the
cloth and the scent should help him eliminate there.)
4. Establish a specific door to use
for access the elimination area. Using
this same exit will help your pup signal his need to go by moving from you to
the door and back, or by going to the door and standing there.
5. Physical discipline is
ineffective unless the pup is caught in the act.
Then the disciple should take the form of picking the pup up quickly and
taking him out to the designated elimination area.
Be sure to praise the pup when he completes the elimination in the proper
area. (also remember that if you
look back, most accidents are due to our not paying attention to the signals the
pup has attempted to give us!!! Stoney
has had only a very few accidents, and most were due to my neglect!!!
He most certainly does not understand how he can and should “hold it”
if I am on the phone, etc.)
6. Clean up of accidents should not
be done in the presence of your puppy. His
curiosity about your actions may be a hindrance to housetraining.
A 50/50 solution of water and white vinegar or Listerine are effective in
masking scent. Remember that your
pup’s sense of smell is acute, and masking scent is important.
If not properly removed, scent will draw the pups back to the same spot.
7. Try not to take the pup outside
for play or a walk unless you have him eliminate in the designated area first.
Otherwise, he will constantly ask to go out even when he does not need to
eliminate.
8. If you pup is not reliable, it is
best to restrict him to a SMALL area when out of your sight.
If given too much space, a pup will eliminate in one area, play in
another, etc. He will learn nothing
if you allow the pup the freedom to potty where he pleases.
9. As
your puppy matures a bit and his bladder control increases, he may decide
that investigating the yard and/or playing is more gratifying at the moment than
doing his “business”. I
personally like to teach my puppies to eliminate promptly when I take them
outside. If the pup does not
eliminate within just a few short minutes, I then pick up the pup, take him
inside and put him in his crate. I
will wait 15-20 minutes, then get him and take him back outside.
If he potties, I praise lavishly. If
he does not, then he goes back into the crate for another 15 minutes.
(If you know your puppy should need to eliminate but he chooses not to,
then you are setting him up for a mistake by allowing him to run free in
the house. Only when the puppy has
done his business outside is he allowed to run free in the house.)
Remember, Be consistent about scheduling feeding and elimination.
Housetraining requires patience and consistency for success.
And, be sure to praise ALL success!
Next month I will talk about puppy nipping and my rule that teeth never touch
the skin.
HAVE FUN WITH YOUR PUPPY!!!!!
Pat Quinn
Everlore
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