How to Do Dog House Training the Right Way
Dog house training is one of the most important things that you will do in your relationship with your dog. If your dog isn’t properly house trained, he will never be able to spend any meaningful indoor time with you, and you won’t develop a very strong bond between you. Yet, this form of home dog training can be very frustrating, as it requires a great deal of patience to get the house training to stick. You’ve just got to remember that in most cases, you are working with a puppy who does not know much about the world yet, much less about what you want from him. It is your job to teach him in a way that is loving and will not make him want to avoid you.
Dog house training is much like toilet training a child. It can’t be done in a single day, so be aware that you will be spending some time and effort on this. First, keep an eye on your dog to get an idea of what he looks like when he needs to relieve himself. He will show some obvious signs that are unique to each dog. Just watch what he does right before he goes on your floor. This knowledge is your first tool in training him.
Once you’ve got the appropriate signals learned, it’s time to start putting down some newspaper for him. Whenever you see him giving the signs that he is about to “go,” then pick him up immediately and put him on the newspaper. Hold him there until he goes. If you’re too late and he has already relieved himself, pick him up and put him on the newspaper for a few minutes anyway, so he begins to get the idea that the paper is the appropriate place to go inside.
Once the dog has used the newspaper to relieve himself, give him lots of praise. You can also teach him to go on command by speaking the words you want him to learn whenever you put him on the paper. Do this often enough, and you’ll eventually be able to put him on the paper, tell him to go, and he will. Now that’s dog house training!
