Eva Davidson
If you are about to welcome a dog into your family that you plan on keeping indoors, one of the first steps you will have to take is teaching the dog the potty rules for the house. This can be a challenging endeavor with some dogs, but you can do it if you are willing to spend the first few weeks teaching the dog where to go and where not to go. Here are some tips that can help you teach your dog how to handle this task the right way.
Use a Crate
Using a crate is a great method for toilet training a dog, because dogs do not like to sleep in the same place where they eliminate their waste. With this method, your goal will be to teach the dog that this is its new sleeping spot. When the dog learns this, it will willingly enter the crate when you instruct it, and it will not potty in the crate because this is where it sleeps.
When you use this method, you will need to keep your dog in the crate often at first, but you will also need to take it outside often too, especially if it is a puppy.
Each time you let the dog out of the crate, take it outside immediately and keep it outside until it goes. After the dog successfully completes this task, you can take it inside and leave it out of the crate for a while.
Use Newspapers
The second thing to do when using the crate method is to use a backup method involving newspapers. You will need to spread newspapers over the floor in an area where it is safe for the dog to go if it has to. While you will not want to keep this method going permanently, it is often helpful for a dog to learn to go on the newspapers if it cannot go outside immediately.
Feed It On a Schedule
The third thing to consider doing is feeding your dog on a schedule. If you feed it the same amount of food each day at the same exact time, the dog's elimination habits will be relatively scheduled. You will need to take notes each day to learn this schedule, but once you learn it, you will know approximately when your dog will need to go outside each day.
If you are not successful with these tips, you may want to consider taking your dog to a place that offers pet training. Businesses like Canine Companion are able to train any type of dog, and age generally doesn't matter. To learn more, call a pet training facility today.
Have you recently started a job that requires you to travel a lot? Do you have a canine companion that misses you while you are gone? Sure, you can have someone you trust stop in your home a few times each day to feed, water and walk your dog, but is that really enough attention for your buddy while you are gone? Maybe it is time for you to look into a doggy daycare and boarding facility for your dog. Learn how this type of facility improved the relationship that I have with my dog and how he has benefited from such a service.