Everyday Mistakes When House Breaking A Puppy By Ira Nelson At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

In the puppy’s world the rules are simple. He is looking for assurance and emotional support and is eager to please. He needs a leader to give him direction as he would have if he was in the wild living with his pack.

The puppy would learn by example that the rest in the pack eliminate away from the den and he would be motivated instinctually to follow their lead. The problem that sometimes develops when a pet owner becomes a puppy’s surrogate pack and “alpha” dog is that there is a failure to communicate what is expected of the puppy when it comes to housebreaking.

In addition to a breakdown in leadership there are other everyday explanations for problems with house breaking a puppy.

Common Mistakes When House Breaking a Puppy

* Not establishing a regular feeding schedule or following a schedule that is inconvenient for you since a puppy can be counted on to want to go shortly after eating. If you feed him at 1 AM, be prepared to take your puppy out at 1:10 AM.

* Not being watchful for the obvious signs that your puppy needs to go out, i.e. circling and sniffing for a spot to go.

* Punishing your puppy minutes after the fact or without having caught the puppy in the act of eliminating.

* Punishing the puppy by rubbing his nose in its own mess can actually be detrimental to housetraining a puppy. Dogs use their sense of smell to actually pick a place to go so rubbing his nose in it can reinforce in his mind that this is the place to go.

* Not using a crate for training because you feel it’s inhumane or mean. Actually it is very natural for your puppy to be in a confined place reminiscent of a den. Have you ever noticed how dogs like to find a confined area under a chair or desk, behind the couch or in a quiet alcove? It is natural for dogs to eliminate away from where they sleep, so it is a way to control where he eliminates. Of course the younger the puppy the shorter the period of time he will be able to hold it, so you have to start with short periods of confinement – being ever watchful of the puppy’s body language that he may want to go.

* You should never strike your puppy or punish him too harshly. This can be counterproductive especially if the puppy doesn’t yet understand what you expect from him. He may be reluctant to defecate outside in front of you because he associates the severe discipline with you. Instead he may hide from you to go, probably somewhere inside.

* Not being consistent, persistent, and patient.

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