Home
>
Pet
>
How to Housebreak Your Dog or Puppy

How to Housebreak Your Dog or Puppy

Dogs are creatures of habit; and once they develop a habit, breaking it can be a long, frustrating process. Your dog needs guidance and encouragement from you to develop a toilet habit you can live with. Animal behaviorists have learned a lot about dogs over the last couple of decades, and there are many tips available that will make housebreaking your dog or puppy a less frustrating task.

When you consider some of the things your dog or puppy is willing to roll in, or put in their mouth, it's a bit hard to believe they're picky and specific about their toilet areas. Dogs will go to great lengths to avoid soiling near where they eat and/or sleep. That means any accidents an un-housebroken dog has will be far from its food dish and bed. To a dog, however, "far" can mean about 6-10 feet. This leaves lots of "fair game" space in your home, unless you guide the dog to suitable spots.

Whether your dog is a puppy, or an adult dog new to your home, the process is the same:

- Every few hours, take the dog outside to a place you designate as a "bathroom" area.

- 30 minutes after the dog or puppy eats, do the same.

- Stay in this bathroom area, and praise the dog lavishly when they relieve themselves.

- If the dog doesn't use the bathroom when you've taken them outside to the appropriate spot, try again 15 minutes later. Continue doing this until they've actually used the bathroom spot.

- When the dog is inside, watch closely for any signs of needing to "go". A dog will circle and sniff areas when they're about to relieve themselves.

How quickly your dog becomes housebroken depends partly on their personality, but mostly on your diligence in taking them outside at the right time. If your puppy is less than four months old, you should plan on getting up during the night to take it outside. Puppies over four months of age can usually "hold it" through the night, but if your dog cries to be let out, it is best to get up and let them tend to the urge. It is vital that you give your dog every chance to succeed during this time. Positive reinforcement of the proper behavior is the fastest way to teach your dog anything.

Accidents happen, and when they do, your response will affect how quickly your dog learns to "go" outside. If you catch your dog in mid-squat, clap your hands or call their name loudly to distract them. Once you have their attention, quietly and calmly take them outside. Be sure to praise your dog or puppy well when they finish relieving themselves outside properly.

If you find a wet spot or droppings on the floor when your dog is not around, simply clean it up. If your dog approaches to investigate what you are doing, ignore them. Don't talk to or pet the dog at this moment, because it could be interpreted as praise. Above all else, avoid yelling or physically punishing the dog, because they won't make the connection between their mess, and your anger.

Additional information and resources related to this article can be found at: http://www.mypetanimals.com/articles/200506/housebreaking-your-dog/

? 2005, Kathy Burns-Millyard

This article is provided courtesy of The My Pet Animals Shopping Portal - http://www.mypetanimals.com/articles/200506/housebreaking-your-dog/

This article may be freely published on any website, as long as the links are live, and this notice is left intact.

express cleaning service Arlington Heights ..

In The News:

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.