From the moment your eyes light up when you’re surprised with a puppy until it’s grown you’ll have fond memories.
But your memories can be clouded if your puppy isn’t house trained properly. I once walked into a room where my puppy had spent a few hours alone, and it was a mess!
So we learn from our faults and house train our puppies, right? Trust me, you wouldn’t want to be stuck in a cycle of constantly cleaning up your puppy’s messes.
And some dog owners still do so after years of failed house training. Eeek!
Keep Your Eyes Peeled
It’s best to keep your puppy with you always. There are actions that will tell you he needs to potty. He can turn in circles or sniff & scratch the floor.
You must stop what you’re doing and rush him to a designated potty spot in the yard. Your puppy will get used to the grass on his paws and only want that feeling when he needs to go.
Form these habits and you can slowly build up assurance that your puppy won’t mess inside.
Clean Up Accidents Instantly and Thoroughly
There have been times where I thought my puppy was being good and wouldn’t “go” inside. This confidence was shattered when one room had plenty of messes.
My puppy had created an indoor designated area to potty!
There is a good chance the same will happen to you. Before you reprimand your puppy, you must clean up the messes immediately and remove any stains & smells. Smells tell your puppy that it’s ok to potty inside—which it’s not.
Remember to take him outside. Your puppy must still believe it’s okay to go potty, just not in the house.
Set Up an Eating Schedule
These schedules in come handy because you can time when to take your puppy outside. When your puppy finishes his meal & water, take him outside 15-20 minutes later.
You can also associate the action with a command. Every time you take him outside you can say “hurry up” or “go potty”. If you’re persistent with this, when your puppy is older you can just yell out the command and it’ll go outside without your help.
Reward Your Puppy
You love incentives for good work, and so does your puppy. Give him a treat or rub his head when he does his business outside. These rewards make your puppy happy and he will do things to get more.
Your puppy will even wait to go outside just to receive the rewards you provide.
Set Up a Potty Bedtime Routine
Give your puppy some water a couple of hours before he goes to bed. Wait 15-20 minutes and take him outside.
Consistency will teach your puppy’s body and mind to potty outside at the same times each day—and that night time potty is the most important if you don’t want to wake up to a mess.
Get Everyone Involved
It can be infuriating when I try to teach my puppy good habits, but my family doesn’t reinforce them.
This inconsistent training leaves our puppy confused. One day he is being shouted at for messing inside, and another he is not. He just doesn’t know what to do!
When you get a puppy make sure the entire household is on the same wavelength with regards to training. A strict program teaches your puppy to be housetrained fast, but everyone needs to participate.
Mum’s Two Cents
The little man is now dreaming of having his own puppy one day. Even when he is more partial to a pet cat, he realized that dogs are also cute and it would be a delight to have one at home. We need to bide our time and wait until our little pet lover is more independent to care for his puppy on his own, and the tips mentioned above will surely come handy when that time finally comes.
The sooner you start the house training the better. Why? A clean environment is a healthy one for you and your puppy. A puppy that is house-trained is easier to care for and I promise you’ll appreciate the cleanliness of it.
:camera: via Pixabay