Archive for the ‘Dog House Training’ Category

Housetraining

House Training Your Dog

What could be cuter than a little puppy bundle of love?  You’ve brought him home and he’s just the sweetest thing.  Until he piddles on your carpet.  Right?

Well, it happens to all of us.  Housetraining your puppy is just one of the responsibilities that goes along with owning a dog, like having him vaccinated and making sure you feed him good food.  With the right care and training you will have your dog for 10-15 years.  You will need to teach your dog many skills and behaviors to avoid, but the first, and one of the most important things you will teach your puppy are his housetraining skills.

Your puppy has lived the first few weeks of his life with his mother.  She took care of all of his potty needs for the first 3-4 weeks of his life while he was nursing.  After he started to eat solid foods the breeder had to start cleaning up after the little guy (mom knows when to stop).  But, if you’re getting your puppy around the age of 10 weeks, give or take, it’s likely that he has not been housetrained yet.  He’s under the impression that anywhere he goes is okay.  So, you have some things to teach him.  Don’t be mad at him when he goes someplace unacceptable.  Up until now it was okay for him to go anywhere.  He has to learn and he’s just a little guy.

When you first bring your new puppy home you should stop outside and let him relieve himself.  This should help prevent him having an accident in your house in the first five minutes.  After that you can get your puppy on a good schedule.  Take your puppy outside at the following times:

• When he first wakes up in the morning
• Right after he eats
• Right after he drinks
• Right after he plays
• Before he goes to bed at night

It’s also a good idea to put his water up about an hour or so before his bedtime.  This will help him make it through the night with fewer outside excursions needed.

But that’s not all!  Your puppy’s not on this nice schedule yet.  You will need to watch him for signs that he needs to go outside.  Remember that your puppy has been living with his mom and littermates.  He knows how to talk dog (barely).  He doesn’t know how to communicate with you.  That means that he can’t tell you when he needs to go outside to relieve himself yet.  He will learn to be able to tell you but that’s a little ways off.

Watch your puppy for the following signals:

• Sniffing the floor
• Wandering around like he’s looking for something
• Heading for corners and private areas
• Going back to places where he’s had an accident before
• Going to the door for a second and wandering away

These are signs that your puppy is thinking about relieving himself.  When you see him doing these things you should take him outside immediately.

When your puppy does go outside and relieves himself you should praise him warmly and give him some treats.  Play with him.  Tell him what a good boy he is.  If you are consistent it doesn’t usually take very long for most puppies to learn that this is where you want them to go.  Your puppy may start going to the door.  Watch for this sign.  He may not be certain that this is what he’s supposed to do so when you see this sign you should praise him and tell him what a good boy he is.  He may wander away before you get a chance to praise him or take him outside but keep watching for him to do it again.

That’s really all there is to housetraining your puppy.  The procedure is basically the same for an adult dog with the exception that they are able to go longer between potty breaks.  They won’t ask to go out as often or need to go so much.

Housetraining your puppy is one of the most important things you can teach him.  Every year many dogs are given away and lose their homes because their owners can’t teach them housetraining.  It’s not hard to teach them but it does take some patience and consistency.  You have to stick with it to make it work.  It really takes a commitment on the part of the owner.  And now that you’ve done this, your puppy will need you to teach him other ways that you want him to behave!

puppy training tips

Right from the beginning of your dog training routine, you should be thinking only of your desired results, instead of the behavior you want to avoid. So when you’re going through your training routines, think clearly of how you want your dog to react, and concentrate on that. Steer your thoughts away from the actions and behavior that you want to avoid.

If you don’t know where you’re going, how can you get there? This is the case with everything you do in life, and it’s true of basic dog house training as well

It’s very easy to fall into the trap of concentrating on things that we don’t want. This happens a lot with dogs! We definitely don’t want our pet to pee on the carpet, or start chewing slippers, or to carry on running when we call him back to us, or bark like a guard dog when older members of the family come to the house.

But think about it. Assuming you’re looking for new dog or puppy to bring into your family. Would you actually relish the thought of relinquishing the next ten to fourteen years of your life chasing your dog around saying, “No no no”? Isn’t it easier and more satisfying to teach your dog correct behavior from the beginning?

So rather than worrying about, “I really do not want the dog to chew the furniture,” try, “I will encourage him to play with his toys.” Rather than, “I don’t want my dog to jump up on my guests,” what about, “It would be nice for the dog to sit nicely and welcome visitors.”

By concentrating on what it is you want to achieve, you’ll better appreciate how to achieve what you want. What better way to start your training program.

Reward Her When She Behaves Well

One of the best things to happen in housetraining puppies just recently is a move in focus from highlighting corrective action, or penalizing mistakes, to rewarding obedience and favorable actions.

Rewarding your dog when he gets it right if highly effective especially for potty train puppies. A fundamental reason for using rewards is that whenever you scald you dog for making a mistake, the upshot could be very demoralizing for both of you. Some dogs – not all, but it can happen – could possibly react to punishment by withdrawing and becoming frightened of you. It’s always possible that he will withdraw completely and become very timid. They seem to lose their sense of adventure. Some may simply curl up and shy away all the time.

You also get a better sense of accomplishment and enlightenment when using reward training techniques. It’s nice to be a source of praise and treats, instead of a constant disciplinarian.

But regardless of how good it makes you feel, rewards based training actually works. The main reason being that rewards of this nature help to stimulate and build acceptable behavior. When he learns that a particular behavior gets rewarded, your dog will associate one with the other and learn to repeat the behavior when called upon. By practicing with your dog how to apply that simple rule, this technique will have your dog behaving like the perfect gentleman (or lady).

As you know, one of the most exciting things that most dog lovers can imagine is bringing home  a lapso apso for the first time.

Unfortunately, this excitement often wears off quickly when the new little addition to the family begins using the house as a bathroom area.

Potty TrainingFortunately, with a bit of consideration and understanding of some of the basic principles of potty training a Lhasa Apso, it is easy and simple to teach your Lhasa Apso  this very important behavior.

There are some points to keep in mind when planning or starting your potty training routine. No matter which method you decide to use, there will be accidents. Plan for them, accept them and move on with as little fuss and negative actions or punishment towards the puppy as possible.

Usually with any puppies, accidents are due to very small bladders and bowels and poor control as their bodies develop, very similar to young human infants in fact.

Avoid Punishing Your Lhasa Apso

Avoid punishing or reprimanding your puppy for an accident, as it is likely to be more a fault of the owner for not taking the puppy to the potty area soon enough. Learn from mistakes and keep notes on when the puppy has accidents.

Try to see if there is a pattern developing that can assist you in the training, rather than become frustrated with the Lhasa Apso. Virtually every puppy wants to make his or her owner happy, and this can be used as an effective motivator in potty training even young puppies.

The Older Dog

Older Lhasa Apsos that are being housebroken or potty trained for the first time will also have accidents, until they understand what you want. Again, patience and a positive attitude will help the training process.

Remember that dogs aren’t aware of the value of antique rugs or wall-to-wall carpeting, rather they tend to relieve themselves where they feel they should – usually somewhere out of the way, like behind the couch or in the corner behind the potted palm.

Is There Anything I Can Do To Help?

YES, There are many things that pet owners can do to make the process of potty training easier for their new dog or puppy.

Good planning, an understanding of the potty training method to be used, plus other factors such as high quality food, lots of exercise, attention and love can all have a bearing on the time that it takes to potty train your Lhasa Apso.

Finally, each dog  is somewhat different in personality and temperament. Some puppies and dogs seem to almost potty train themselves where others, even from the same litter, may require additional training but will soon learn what is expected.

What method Should I Use To Potty Training My Lhasa Apso?

Well, there are several different potty training methods that can be used for your Lhasa Apso.

Deciding on the best potty training method is important and depends a lot on the age of the dog, the time that you have to interact with the dog or puppy, your living area, and what method you are most comfortable with.

Some of the potty training methods encourage your Lhasa Apso  to use an outside area to relieve themselves, whereas others focus on containing the area the puppy or dog uses inside of the house – by the use of litter boxes, potty training pads or even newspapers.

Here, we will cover one popular method, Crate Training.

CRATE TRAINING

Crate training is one of the most effective ways to potty train a Lhasa Apso as it uses the natural “denning instinct” of the dog to encourage it to keep the area that it sleeps clean and free from waste materials.

In the wild, the den is kept clean by the mother while the puppies are young. Once they are older and are able to walk, they naturally go outside of thier den or living space to relieve themselves.

In houses there are no dens, and the area is simply too large for puppies to feel that this is “their spot”.

By providing a den, in the form of a crate, the puppy will learn to wait until he or she is taken outside before soiling in the crate.

Crate training does required active participation and monitoring on the part of the dog owner.

The following is an outline of how to complete a crate training routine:

* Purchase an appropriately sized crate, either plastic or wire, that is large enough for your Lhasa Apso  to stand and stretch out comfortably.

* Make sure the crate is comfortable – use soft, washable liners or dog blankets.

* Sit with your Lhasa Apso at the door of the crate. Place a small treat inside the crate. Praise the puppy for going into the crate and getting the treat. Let the puppy come out when he or she wants, do not close the door at this time.

* Only praise for going in the crate, ignore the puppy when he or she is coming out.

* When your Lhasa Apso walks into the crate say “Crate” or “Den” or whatever word you wish to associate with going into the crate.

* When your  Lhasa Apso is  staying in the crate on their own to eat the treats, close the door for a few seconds, then open it up. Only praise when the dog goes in, never when it is exiting. Soon the dog realizes in is good, out is neutral.

* After the puppy or dog is fine with being in the crate for more than a few minutes, put a chew toy in with the dog to keep it occupied. Try very slowly and gradually increasing your distance away from the crate, and the time in the crate with the door closed.

* Since the puppy or dog will generally not eliminate when they are in the crate because it is their den, take them outside to eliminate when they come out of the crate.

* After feeding, crate the puppy with a chew toy. In about 10-15 minutes take the puppy out of the crate and to the designated toilet area. Do not play or interact with the puppy at this time, simply take them to the spot.

* If the puppy relieves itself, praise the puppy and spend some time interacting. If, after about 3-5 minutes the puppy has not toileted, return it to the crate, again without saying anything, for an additional five minutes. Repeat the process without interacting with the puppy until it goes to the bathroom. Praise and play always follow toileting while crate training.

* At night, keep the crate in the bedroom or somewhere that you can easily hear the puppy. If he or she whines, take them to the toilet area and return them to the crate with as little interaction as possible. Just a simple “good girl” or boy will do when they toilet.

Too much praise will be seen as play, and may encourage the puppy to whine throughout the night. Remember, the crate is only used until Potty Training is under control, not forever!

What Are Some Advantages of Using A Crate?

The advantages to crate training include the fact that it uses the puppies or dogs natural instincts to help with the learning process. It minimizes the dangers of messes and accidents around the house when done correctly. In addition the puppy feels secure, and they can understand what is required in a relatively short time.

What Are Some Disadvantages of Using A Crate?

Disadvantages to crate training for a lasso apso are few, but the biggest one is that it will only work if the trainer monitors the puppy closely while in the crate, and follows the attention/inattention guidelines.

Some owners may think that crate training is cruel, but this is simply not the case. Once people understand the crate is not used as a punishment but as a safe and secure place for the puppy, they change their opinion quickly.

Need Further Help ?

I hope this short outline introduction to Potty Training  and specifically CRATE  Training has been helpful to you.