 |
| Understanding how your puppy thinks is the key to successful house training. |
Probably the biggest question and problem in bringing a new puppy, or older dog, into the house relates to house training. Notice that I use the word house “training”, and not house “breaking”. Your job as the pup’s new leader of the pack is training or teaching him what is acceptable and what is not. It is important to understand how your dog thinks and what he needs in order to communicate YOUR wishes successfully. There is a LOT of information available on house training. Some is good...some not so good. A book that I like is an old “tried but true” one entitled The Art of Raising a Puppy by the Monks of New Skete. Another good book is The Evans Guide for Housetraining your Dog by Job Michael Evans, who spent 11 years breeding German Shepherds at the New Skete Monastery where he house-trained hundreds of dogs and puppies of all breeds. Both are filled with valuable information to help you in this vital first step in a happy relationship with your new pack member.
 |
Meet Cedar, Cindi's most recent house training success story!
|
While it is not within the scope of this website to go into great detail about crating and house training a dog, I can give you my thoughts based on many, many publications and my personal experience. I love my pets dearly as members of the family. They have always proven to be wonderfully well behaved in my home and were welcome visitors elsewhere. As mentioned elsewhere on these pages, while I LOVE my dogs, I am the leader of the pack and I determine what goes on. Cesar Milan of “The Dog Whisperer” on the National Geographic Channel is my hero. (His book, Cesar’s Way, is currently on the New York Times bestsellers list. If there is just one book that I would recommend for people to read, it is this one!)
Consistency is Important When House Training a Dog
Just as in raising well-behaved children, we adults (and dog-parents) need to be consistent with our rules and also in delivering discipline that is consistent with the “crime”. We certainly love our children, but if we don’t establish rules they will run amuk and create constant problems and confrontations both at home and in the public. It is loving to raise both children and dogs in a manner that builds happy individuals that are a pleasure to be around.
Confine Your Dog or Puppy to a Limited Area When You Cannot Supervise It
If you want your puppy or older dog to get house trained, it is vital to confine it to a limited area when you cannot directly supervise it. While many feel it is cruel to use a crate, with proper introduction the crate will rapidly become a warm and welcoming place for your pet. It is so important to PREVENT the unwanted behavior...in this case soiling in the house, and only allow the desired behavior...doing his “job” outside. Unless you will literally be able to have your eyes glued to this puppy for 24/7, you MUST confine it when you sleep, wash dishes, make supper, read the newspaper, get the kids off to school, watch tv, etc. in order to avoid having it soil in the house. The crate simulates a den…a very natural place to be for a pup (or adult dog for that matter). To make it a happy place, all good things happen in the crate: feeding time, toys, treats (when quiet), etc. Also remember that puppies have very limited bladder control…the younger they are the poorer the control. They will need to eliminate immediately upon waking up and after eating. They also will urinate when they get excited during play, even if they just went a short while earlier. The more you are attentive to these needs, the more rapidly housetraining will progress.
|
