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House
Training Your Puppy
HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS TO MAKE THIS IMPORTANT TRAINING PERIOD A SUCCESS.
BUY A CRATE AND DURING THE FIRST FEW WEEKS, KEEP YOUR PUPPY IN IT WHENEVER YOU ARE NOT
PLAYING, HOLDING, OR WATCHING HIM EXPLORE HIS NEW SURROUNDINGS. SPEND AS MUCH TIME AS YOU
CAN WITH YOUR PET, BUT WHEN YOU CANT WATCH HIM, CRATING HIM CAN PREVENT MISTAKES
FROM OCCURRING. IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING THE SAFE, SECURE REFUGE YOUR DOG NEEDS AND WANTS,
CRATES ARE CRITICAL TO HOUSEHOLD TRAINING BECAUSE AS DEN ANIMALS, DOGS ARE NATURALLY
INCLINED NOT TO SOIL THEIR BED. THEREFORE MAKE SURE YOUR CRATE IS NOT TO BIG. IT SHOULD BE
LARGE ENOUGH FOR YOUR PUPPYS BED AND NO MORE. USE A DIVIDER PANEL TO SIZE A CRATE
FOR YOUR PUPPY, AND REMOVE IT LATER WHEN YOUR DOG IS FULL GROWN. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
DOGS BEING HOUSETRAINED LEARN IN A CRATE IS THAT THEY CAN CONTROL THEIR URGE TO ELIMINATE
UNTIL THE PROPER TIME AND SITUATION.

BE CONSISTENT. THE
"WHEN" AND "HOW" YOU HOUSETRAIN NEEDS TO BE CONSISTENT SO MAKE SURE
ALL FAMILY MEMBERS FOLLOW THE SAME GUIDELINES. PICK A SOILING SPOT IN YOUR YARD AND TAKE
YOUR PUPPY THERE WHEN IT IS TIME TO ELIMINATE. THE ODOR FROM PREVIOUS VISITS TO THIS SPOT
WILL STIMULATE THE URGE TO DEFECATE AND/OR URINATE.
MANY OWNERS CONFUSE THEIR PUP BY USING DIFFERENT WORDS FOR THE SAME COMMAND. IN THE
HOUSEBREAKING PROCESS, IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO USE THE SAME WORD LIKE "OUTSIDE"
EVERY TIME YOU TAKE YOUR PUPPY OUT TO ELIMINATE. CONSISTENT USE OF A WORD WITH AN ACTIVITY
WILL HELP BUILD A LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR PUP. LATER, WHILE YOU ARE
WATCHING TELEVISION AND NOTICE YOUR PUP STARING AT YOU, YOU CAN SAY THE WORD
"OUTSIDE" AND YOUR PUP WILL GO TO THE DOOR.
BE PATIENT
DOGS MAY URINATE OR DEFECATE MORE THAN ONCE IN ONE OUTING, AND NOT ALWAYS RIGHT AWAY.
DONT DISTRACT YOUR PUP FROM THE JOB AT HAND.
PRAISE HIM
FOR HIS SUCCESS WHEN THE JOB IS DONE BUT DONT OVERDO IT. JUST PATTING HIM ACROSS
THE SHOULDERS A FEW TIME WILL DO THE TRICK. IN A DOGS LANGUAGE, THAT MEANS MORE THAN
CONSTANT RUBBING ACROSS THE HEAD OR REPEATING "GOOD DOG".
DONT MIX BUSINESS
WITH PLEASURE. THIS IS A BUSINESS TRIP, NOT SOCIAL TIME. WHEN YOUR PUP
HAS FINISHED, TAKE HIM BACK OUTSIDE, EVEN JUST FOR A MINUTE OR TWO.
WHEN YOU COME BACK INSIDE, SPEND SOME TIME WITH YOUR PUP. YOU KNOW THERE IS LITTLE
CHANCE THE PUP WILL HAVE TO ELIMINATE FOR A WHILE SO PLAY WITH HIM AND HAVE A GOOD TIME.
AFTER EVERY MEAL AND PLAYTIME, REMEMBER TO TAKE HIM OUTSIDE BEFORE PLACING HIM BACK IN
THE CRATE.
THE KEY TO HOUSETRAINING
IS YOU. BE CONSISTENT, PATIENT, PRAISE WHEN APPROPRIATE, AND BE
WILLINGFOR HOWEVER LONG IT TAKESTO INVEST THE TIME AND ENERGY NECESSARY TO
MAKE THIS IMPORTANT TRAINING TIME A SUCCESS. THE EFFORT YOU PUT FORTH NOW WILL BE WELL
WORTH IT FOR THE LIFETIME OF YOUR PET.
ESTABLISH A SCHEDULE.
DOGS ARE CREATURES OF HABIT; THEY LIKE TO EAT, SLEEP, AND RELIEVE THEMSELVES ON A
REGULAR SCHEDULE. ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING A SCHEDULE IS EASY TO DO AND GETS EASIER AS
YOUR PUPPY GROWS.
PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR DOGS BEHAVIOR SO YOU CAN DEVELOP A SCHEDULE THAT WORKS FOR
BOTH OF YOU. FIRST LEARN WHERE YOUR DOG NATURALLY DEFECATESIN THE MORNING, AT NIGHT,
30 MINUTES AFTER EATING, ECT. LOOK AT YOUR SCHEDULE AND DETERMINE WHAT COMPROMISES NEED TO
BE MADE TO MAKE THIS WORKABLE FOR EVERYONE.
UNTIL YOUR PUP IS 4-5 MONTHS OLD, TAKE HIM OUTSIDE FREQUENTLY AND WATCH HIM VERY
CLOSELY WHEN HE IS IN-OR OUT OFHIS CRATE. AS SOON AS YOU SEE HIM PACING, SNIFFING
AROUND, TURNING AROUND IN CIRCLES, OR TRYING TO SNEAK AWAY(IF HES OUT OF THE CRATE),
TAKE HIM OUTSIDE. THESE ARE TELLTALE SIGNS THAT HE NEEDS TO RELIEVE HIMSELF.
Martin R. Smith D.V.M.
GENERAL SCHEDULE
For puppies 3 to 6 months old eating 4 meals per day; owner is home or
can get home at lunch. This is a general guideline only and can be modified to fit you
particular situation.
7:00 AM TAKE PUP OUT. DONT WAIT UNTIL YOU SHOWER
OR UNTIL THE COFFEE IS MADE
7:15-7:30 PLAYTIME
7:30 FEED AND WATER. ALLOW 15-20 MINUTES FOR EATING,
AND REMOVE DISHES.
8:00 TAKE PUP OUT. CONFINE TO CRATE WHEN YOU LEAVE;
PLACE SAFE CHEW AND PLAY TOYS IN CRATE FOR ENTERTAINMENT.
NOON TAKE PUP OUT.
12:15-12:30 PLAYTIME
12:30 FEED AND WATER.
12:45 TAKE PUP OUT.
1:00 CONFINE TO CRATE.
6:00 TAKE PUP OUT AS SOON AS YOU GET HOME FROM WORK.
6:15-6:45 PLAYTIME
7:00 TAKE PUP OUT.
7:15 CONFINE TO CRATE.
9:00 FEED AND WATER.
9:15 TAKE PUP OUT.
9:30-10:00 PLAYTIME
10:00 CONFINE TO CRATE.
11:00 TAKE PUP OUT. CONFINE OVERNIGHT.
FOR
MORE PET CARE TIPS AND PUPPY PRODUCTS-CLICK ON LINK BELOW

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