All dogs need to be house trained, if they are to be successful as domestic pets. There is no fun in having an animal in your house who is pooing and peeing everywhere. There's not much disputing that.
House training dogs is usually necessary if you buy a puppy, but sometimes an adult dog who has not been accustomed to life in a home will need toilet training, or maybe a rescue dog who has had abuse and is fearful and confused.
The thing to remember is that dogs are naturally clean animals who rarely soil their own bed or nest. It is their instinct to toilet away from the area where they eat or sleep. So all you need to do is to reinforce this natural instinct and make sure they learn quickly that you want them to go outside.
As with all dog training, you must accentuate the positive and ignore the negative as much as possible. The old idea of scolding the dog and rubbing the poor mutt's nose in it is just barbaric and cruel. And who wants a dog with a nose covered in his own excrement? That is just disgusting for both of you!
The fundamental thing you must be with dog house training is attentive. You need to read the dog's body language. If the pup is active and not sleeping or resting, chances are that he or she might need to go, and soon! Particularly if they have just eaten or had a drink. The opportunity to go outside should be given at these times always. Initially, before the dog knows what pleases you, you should escort the dog outside, maybe keep him on the leash, and give fulsome praise and perhaps food treats if and when they do one of their duties outside. The dog will soon learn that doing his business outside is really pleasing to you, and also very beneficial to him, as he gets treats and fusses.
Punishment, especially for something the hound has no idea was wrong, has no place in modern dog training techniques. Still, some of us believe that if a dog is caught in the act of peeing or pooping indoors, he should be firmly told “no” and then immediately taken outside. This helps to get the message across that you don't want them to go indoors, and the al fresco toileting is much preferred.
If you want your dog to understand human language, and have a command they understand for toileting, then it is common to say 'be clean' or 'go toilet' when you want to encourage them to go. Take care it is a phrase you can handle using for the rest of the dog's life though, and in public too.
At the time when the dog is inside on his own, it is usual to use newspaper down on the floor to prevent soiling. The dog gets the idea that, failing going outside, the newspaper is a relatively good place to do his business. Gradually, as the dog is getting the idea, you can reduce the amount of newspaper and move it nearer to the door, so the dog can understand even more that the door – and more particularly, outside the door, is where he should really go.
There are often moments of frustration, but as long as you are patient, most dogs become house trained within a few weeks.
House training dogs is usually necessary if you buy a puppy, but sometimes an adult dog who has not been accustomed to life in a home will need toilet training, or maybe a rescue dog who has had abuse and is fearful and confused.
The thing to remember is that dogs are naturally clean animals who rarely soil their own bed or nest. It is their instinct to toilet away from the area where they eat or sleep. So all you need to do is to reinforce this natural instinct and make sure they learn quickly that you want them to go outside.
As with all dog training, you must accentuate the positive and ignore the negative as much as possible. The old idea of scolding the dog and rubbing the poor mutt's nose in it is just barbaric and cruel. And who wants a dog with a nose covered in his own excrement? That is just disgusting for both of you!
The fundamental thing you must be with dog house training is attentive. You need to read the dog's body language. If the pup is active and not sleeping or resting, chances are that he or she might need to go, and soon! Particularly if they have just eaten or had a drink. The opportunity to go outside should be given at these times always. Initially, before the dog knows what pleases you, you should escort the dog outside, maybe keep him on the leash, and give fulsome praise and perhaps food treats if and when they do one of their duties outside. The dog will soon learn that doing his business outside is really pleasing to you, and also very beneficial to him, as he gets treats and fusses.
Punishment, especially for something the hound has no idea was wrong, has no place in modern dog training techniques. Still, some of us believe that if a dog is caught in the act of peeing or pooping indoors, he should be firmly told “no” and then immediately taken outside. This helps to get the message across that you don't want them to go indoors, and the al fresco toileting is much preferred.
If you want your dog to understand human language, and have a command they understand for toileting, then it is common to say 'be clean' or 'go toilet' when you want to encourage them to go. Take care it is a phrase you can handle using for the rest of the dog's life though, and in public too.
At the time when the dog is inside on his own, it is usual to use newspaper down on the floor to prevent soiling. The dog gets the idea that, failing going outside, the newspaper is a relatively good place to do his business. Gradually, as the dog is getting the idea, you can reduce the amount of newspaper and move it nearer to the door, so the dog can understand even more that the door – and more particularly, outside the door, is where he should really go.
There are often moments of frustration, but as long as you are patient, most dogs become house trained within a few weeks.
