Housebreaking a puppy begins with the incorrect premise – breaking. It is as if you wish to make the puppy cease being a puppy and perform like a perfect tiny toy. Which is neither fair nor practical.
A pet owner who would like to create a positive relationship with the pet is centered on housetraining. This method shows the puppy ways to live comfortably within your environment.
Forget about the old school methods that instruct you to begin paper training and swatting a puppy the very first day it is home. Regardless of whether you bring home a puppy or an adult dog, you are taking this animal from the surroundings it understands and heading into a setting that is completely foreign to it.
The dog doesn’t have any idea what room is okay to go in and what room is off limits. An animal shelter dog or crated puppy is so excited to have space just to walk and independence to wander that your home is a virtual amusement park of amazing things. Add to that the presence of other household pets or young children and the excitement is nearly too much to contain.
Housetraining takes a great deal of your time and effort. You have to work with your dog in every room. If the living room is off limits and you notice him sniffing for a place to potty, then gently pick him up, say “No” firmly without shouting, and then place him on the floor of the kitchen with his newspapers or bring him outside.
You may need to do that a multitude of times until he gets the message, but it will happen. Make sure you balance the “no-no” areas with the “yes” areas. Once your dog has learned the necessary house rules for potty zones, you still have to allow for the unexpected.
A dog, specifically a puppy, who’s alone and frightened by a thunderstorm as well as other loud noises could have a potty accident. Or there might be a health-related issue that needs your attention. Like humans, dogs could possibly get urinary tract infections which make bladder control challenging.
An abrupt change in potty training levels could be a signal that your dog’s behavior change is from a physical issue, not defiance. As your dog ages, bladder control will fail just like it does for a lot of aging humans.
Any extreme change in routine could possibly get your dog off his potty training road to success, too. Visiting relatives, home redecorating or emotional distress are typical factors that can induce a dog to become lax in housetraining.
Take into consideration what’s happening around the house as possible explanations why your dog is feeling confused about what is taking place around him and reacting erratically. Restore order while you patiently return back and reinforce housetraining in positive ways.
Matthew Scott
Creature Comforts of Charlotte Pet Sitting
http://www.creaturecomfortscharlotte.com
704-960-9751