HOUSE TRAINING YOUR BEST PAL

Oh! Oh! Where Do I Go?

HOW DOGS AND PUPPIES UNDERSTAND THE WHERE AND WHAT FOR
 The preference for an elimination substrate is a learned experience. The first several weeks of a puppy’s life, Mama takes care of this. Anyone who has ever raised a litter of puppies well knows that there is no actual thought process involved in early puppy elimination. It happens when it happens, and where it happens. To control this process, when you bring the puppy home, it is essential to have a very set schedule in place to meet its elimination needs. Your puppy should be on a regular schedule for eating, drinking, playing, and sleeping.

Please Understand:

• Puppies don't have control because Momma was taking care of things
  
• A puppy usually can't make it past 3 hours, and that means around the clock, so as they get older, you can stretch out those nighttime walks.
• Some puppies will sleep so hard at night that they pee their beds.  Just like a small child, this requires waking the puppy during the night for a potty break.  They will outgrow it, so please be patient.

• To start, the puppy isn't aware that elimination is a thing for quite a while, so your awareness will speed the process. 
  
  • ​If puppy is walking around sniffing, a pee pee is gonna happen.
    
  • If puppy is speeding up the walking around and sniffing, that "stinky" is gonna happen.  The signals are always there.
    

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Elimination happens:

• Right after waking
• About 5 to 20 minutes after eating
• During a play session
• After petting, grooming, or bathing
• After chewing on a toy for a short while

So...set up an awareness program for this. It is up to you to deliver the puppy to the designated spot within the specified time period.

ELIMINATION PROBLEMS If the instructions here aren’t working, pup may have a medical problem. Be sure to take him to your vet for a thorough checkup.
Punishment: Punishing a puppy or dog for eliminating in the wrong place will only result in the dog finding places to eliminate where you can’t see him.
Punishment after the Act: If you punish your puppy or dog for eliminating in the wrong place and you didn’t witness the act, all you are teaching the dog is that you can’t be trusted.  Sometimes, if there is a spot or feces present, you react horribly instead of like his best pal. This will result in the puppy or dog being afraid of you when you come home. So, don’t do it! Simply clean up the accident with a cleaner that will eliminate any remaining scent and forget about it.
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HOUSE TRAINING - TIME ELEMENT:  In general, house training should only take about 2 to 3 weeks, but a puppy will not be completely reliable till at least 10 months of age. Also, during adolescence, between 5-6 months, some dogs can “forget’ they are house trained. This is normal, so don’t be alarmed, just start the program over.

AFTER SLEEPING: The very first thing that should happen after a pup wakes up from a nap is a trip to the great outdoors. At first, you may have to carry the pup outside to the pre-selected elimination spot. When the little butt goes down, click the clicker and when he is done, give him a treat. Over several trials, name the behavior just before you click the clicker, and then deliver the treat as soon as he is done.

AFTER EATING: Pups usually need to be eliminated around 20 minutes after a meal, so take about 15 minutes to take the puppy outside to the pre-selected elimination spot. When the little butt goes down, click the clicker and when he is done, give him a treat. Over several trials, name the behavior just before you click the clicker, and then deliver the treat as soon as he is done.

AFTER PLAYING:   Watch pup closely, and when a play session starts to wind down, a trip to the elimination spot is in order. At first, you won’t get much warning, so it is up to you to halt the play session and make a trip to the great outdoors. When the little butt goes down, click the clicker and when he is done, give him a treat. Over several trials, name the behavior just before you click the clicker, and then deliver the treat as soon as he is done.

AFTER PETTING, GROOMING, OR BATHING AND CHEWING ON TOYS FOR A WHILE:  Stimulation helps the urge to eliminate, so be sure after a petting session or after you have groomed and bathed your pup to immediately visit the elimination area. The same procedure goes for the end of a chewing session.

ACCIDENT CLEANUPS:  Accidents? Oops! YOU weren’t paying attention to your schedule! Two whacks on YOUR HEAD with a rolled up newspaper. Since you caused this by inattention to detail, clean up after accidents with a cleaner designed to neutralize pet odors. Any lingering scent may encourage the pup to try the spot again. No word to pup at all, this is positive training after all.

CONFINEMENT:   While engaged in house training, don’t let the pup out of your sight. Keep the pup confined in a safe place, like a doggie pen or his crate, in the room you are in. Be sure that you have taken up to the elimination spot before you confine him. Confinement can be as simple as a leash attached to your waist as a tether, so you know where he is and what he is doing.

Check back for additional thoughts and actions to help get this under control.


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