Everyday Mistakes When House Breaking a Puppy
By: Ira Nelson
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/or patient.
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Article Source: www.articlecity.com
About the author Ira Nelson
To learn more about house breaking a puppy and how to avoid common mistakes
and problems go to
House Breaking a Puppy.
If you are trying to obedience train your new puppy go to
Puppy Training.
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