By: Dog Health Revealed
You’re the proud owner of a new puppy. Unfortunately, you are
also the not so proud owner of a soggy living room carpet. It
doesn’t take long to realize this can’t keep happening. So what
do you do? It might just be time to housebreak your new pet.
Housebreaking may sound painful but relax. It really isn’t all
that difficult. It is your dog’s natural tendency to want to
keep its living area clean so once the home is firmly
established in your pets mind the problem will be resolved.
There are several ways you can assist the process to move
faster.
The first thing you want to do is be sure your pet is healthy
to start with. If your pet has not been to the vet already,
make an appointment.
Your dog should be checked for overall healthiness and for
conditions that would make house training difficult, such as
cystitis and kidney or bladder dysfunction.
While your pet is visiting the veterinarian, ask to have them
checked for worms and parasites also by way of a fecal exam.
Also bear in mind the truthfulness behind mothers’ wisdom when
she said “You are what you eat.”
A poor quality dog food, in addition to contributing to a poor
nutritional state, can cause digestive problems resulting in
loose stools, thus contributing to your pup’s inability to
control itself.
The most important part of housebreaking your pet is close
supervision. This is necessary because your puppy learns by
repetition.
If you see your dog showing signs of needing to relieve itself,
then immediate action must be taken to get the animal outside to
its designated area.
Consistency in training is critical. Do not think being lax
because it’s cold or dark outside is acceptable or your pet
will adopt these same attitudes.
Close supervision during housebreaking is also necessary
because it gives you time to learn your dogs special quirks
such as needing to urinate right after eating or a certain
action they take prior to soiling the floor so you can watch
for these actions and respond in the future.
Also it allows you to correct a situation while it is still
fresh in the dogs mind. While being very intelligent creatures,
short term memory is not the strong point for most animals of
this species and correcting them after more than a few minutes
have passed serves no real purpose.
Another key to Housebreaking is giving your dog a limited
amount of space. Baby gates across doorways or a pet crate help
to make a more confined area and help your pet to recognize this
as his living space.
Their natural tendency is to go outside of their own living
space to urinate so making this association for your pet will
make your job easier. Lining this space with old news papers is
a good idea at first as it facilitates a much easier cleanup of
any accidents your pet might have.
Also be aware that some surfaces are more pet-friendly than
others. Try to confine your new pet to areas of the home with
tile or vinyl floors which are much easier to clean. Avoid
letting them have access to carpet or hardwood floors which
retain odors and can be extensively damaged by an errant pup.
Remember to limit the amount of water your dog has access to at
the end of the day as you will otherwise be making a walk with
your pet in the middle of the night.
A quick walk outside at regularly timed intervals is advisable
to training as this helps your pet to set an internal schedule.
Be certain to use a consistent keyword to tell your pet why you
are out in the yard such as “potty” or “toilet” or anything you
choose and do not return indoors until they have relieved
themselves. Also remember to give praise when your dog relieves
itself in appropriate places such as on newspapers or outdoors.
Again consistent training is the key.
If your pet does have an accident indoors, correct the animal
immediately and then clean the area using non-ammonia based
products. Instead use an Enzyme based deodorizer to clean the
area and be sure to remove all odor of the accident or the
animal will repeat the behavior again.
If you follow these simple rules, your carpets and your new pet
should be able to coexist peacefully and relatively free from
stress.
About The Author: Dog Health Revealed is an excellent place to
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