When you first bring the new puppy home...and I mean immediately upon arrival...you must take her outside to the area you have designated as her toilet area. Gently set her down in the grass and watch as she circles and sniffs the area. Your doing this immediately for a couple of reasons. The ride home in the car was probably her first ride ever, and Im pretty sure the kids have met you at the door, all excited about the new family member. The ride, coupled with new sights and sounds will excite the puppy beyond control. She will want to, or have to, eliminate at once. Puppies have very small bladders and bowels, so her control wont be very good. By taking her to the new toilet area she can do her job in the right area the first time, and hopefully, every time!
Now, just placing her in the right area is not enough. When she actually begins to pee, you need to say things like, "go pee", or "outside", or "go potty", whatever phrase youre comfortable with. Use it each time she goes potty outside. When she is finished, make a big deal out of it. Pet her and say something like, "good girl...outside", over and over and maybe even give her a small treat. All dogs, regardless of age, want to please us. Giving her lavish praise and a treat lets her know you are happy with her.
Once you go into the house the training process begins in full! The easiest house training will take place if you use a crate as your main tool. Whats a crate? Just as it sounds, a crate is a small kennel that your new puppy will learn to call home. It should be just big enough for her to sleep in and stand and stretch a bit, but not big enough to run around in. Heres why. Dogs have a distinct dislike for eliminating where they sleep. If the crate is too big your new puppy will sleep at one end and pee and poop at the other. That will defeat the whole purpose of "crate training". If you want to get a crate large enough for her to "grow" into you will need to section it off so as to keep her on one end.
You will need to keep her in the crate at all times when she is not totally supervised. If she is allowed free roam of the house she will no doubt find a quiet, unoccupied part of the house to pee in. Once she has started to "go" inside it will be doubly difficult to teach her to do her business outside.
She may not take to the crate at first. To help matters, keep it in a family friendly part of the house. The kitchen, den or family room are great locations. Just because she is kenneled doesnt mean she cant be with the rest of the family. Being in the crate should not be considered punishment. Keep it comfy with an old blanket or two and you may want to toss in a chew toy or two. When she is not in the crate she must be constantly supervised. Watch for circling and sniffing the carpet. That is a sure sign she is about to go. Take her outside and repeat the "go pee" and "go potty" routine like you did when you first brought her home. Dont forget to praise her when she is finished.
The main thing to remember in crate training is that, as stated earlier, puppies have small bladders and bowels. They cant hold it in for long periods of "crate time". Take her out to her designated potty area frequently. How frequently? A good rule of thumb is the pups age in months plus one. For example, if she is 2 months old she needs to be taken outside for a potty break every 3 hours.( 2 months plus 1). When she is out of her crate for play time, especially while the excitement is new to her, more frequent trips may be necessary.
By using a crate, and following these few tips your new puppy will be house trained in no time at all.
Steve Kettle is a freelance writer and publisher of a pet website. You can visit it at http://www.pawspawspaws.com
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