Dog Obedience Training For Your Pet Dog

Some people call it potty training. Others call it housebreaking. No matter what you call it, housetraining a puppy is something most new dog owners dread. Everyone you talk to will probably give you different advice, which can leave you pretty confused.

Don’t despair. I’ve got six tips that you can use to make the house training process a lot easier on you and your new puppy.

Tip #1: Have a Consistent Feeding Schedule

Some dog owners like the idea of free feeding their dogs. This means they leave a bowl of food out all day, letting their dog eat whenever he’s hungry. While free feeding is convenient for you as a dog owner, it can create a problem when you’re housebreaking a new dog. It’s much easier to potty train a dog if you follow a schedule and feed him at the same time each day.

Most dogs need to go potty after eating. By having a set schedule, you can control when your dog eats and know when he will need to go potty. You’ll have fewer accidents if you follow this important tip.

Tip #2: Follow A Consistent Potty Schedule

Even though your puppy will be going potty after his meals, you will also need to take him outside as often as you can throughout the day. Create a potty schedule above and beyond meal time, and follow it – taking your puppy out at the same time each day.

This will help you to remember to take him out. And having a routine gives your puppy a sense of security. This is important in raising a puppy that is calm and confident. Without a set schedule, your new dog won’t ever know what to expect – which causes him to become anxious. Anxiety causes digestive problems in dogs, which can make potty training that much harder.

Tip #3: Choose A “Potty” Command And Use It Consistently

You’ll want to choose a verbal command to use when you want your puppy to go potty. This should be something you’re comfortable saying at any time – and in front of anyone. A few common ones are: “go potty” “tinkle” “potty” or “get busy.”

Now that you’ve chosen a command, you should use it every time you want your dog to go potty. When he’s learning the command, you should use it only when you are standing where you want him to go potty. Once your puppy is trained, you can open the door, say “go potty” or whatever command you use, and he’ll run right over to his spot and go potty – all on his own.

Tip #4: Never Scold Your Dog for Having An Accident

Every puppy is going to make a few mistakes during dog potty training. When your puppy has an accident, just stay calm. Don’t get excited and start yelling. Don’t scold your puppy and, for goodness sake, never rub your puppy’s nose in it. That’s not just old-fashioned, it’s ineffective and downright confusing for your little puppy.

Making your dog feel that going potty is bad isn’t going to help. Your dog can’t help himself – when he’s got to go, he’s got to go! What you need to teach him instead, is that good things happen when he goes potty in the right place, which leads us to the next tip

Tip #5: Praise and Reward Him When He Gets It Right

Just as you would reward your puppy for sitting when you say “sit” – you should always reward him when he goes potty outside in the right place.

You can reward him with a combination of sincere praise with love and affection, doggy treats, or play time. The most important thing is that your puppy gets rewarded immediately, so he associates the reward with going potty in the right place.

Begin the verbal praise while he’s actually going potty. If you’re using dog treats, be sure to keep them handy – in your pocket or purse. For play, you can simply toss a ball if you are in the back yard – or bounce a tennis ball and let him catch it if you’re on a walk.

The most important thing is that he gets his reward immediately. By giving him praise and a reward, your puppy will soon connect going potty for you with good things.

Tip #6: Crate Training Your Puppy Means Less Accidents

Crate training is a topic all on it’s own, but here is why you’d be smart to consider it when house breaking your puppy

Crate training lets you put your puppy in his crate when you aren’t able to watch him. Since dogs don’t like to soil their “dens” your puppy will naturally wait until you let him out to go potty.

Your job is to be sure you don’t leave him in the crate for too long and to immediately take him out to go potty when you let him out. The best part is that he’ll usually have to go — and, with your help, he’ll always be going when and where you want him to go!

Your new puppy will love you as much as you love him – maybe even more. These six potty training tips will help you quickly housebreak your new puppy. By giving him the proper training, he’ll become a dog everyone will love being around.

Hi Steve,

Bailey, Ami and I just got back from a walk in a very busy neighborhood. Just want you to know that she was “perfect”. Hard to believe this is the same ” out of control” dog I used to walk.

thanks again, Sharon

Any dog owner knows how difficult it is to walk a dog that pulls on the leash or simply refuses to walk. While basic dog training for any breed should involve lead training, the larger breeds in particular need to learn this as puppies. There’s nothing more unpleasant than trying to take your Husky or German Shepherd out for an evening stroll and having them fight the lead all the way.

With that in mind, here are five tips to make lead training your dog a little easier . 1.Start young. It’s far easier to start with puppy training in Toronto than it is to teach an older dog not to pull on the leash. While not impossible, it’s best to start out with a young dog that hasn’t yet picked up any bad habits. You can easily accustom a young puppy to the lead and he will be happy to treat it with respect for the rest of his life, but the trick is not to wait too long.

Start your puppy off with a collar and then progress to the leash and you’ll find that the entire process is far easier on both you and your dog. This can be one of the first puppy training methods that you use.

2. Be gentle. This is not a time to be rough. Whether you are working with a puppy or an adult dog, obedience is not going to come about through intimidating your dog. That’s why it’s important not to use a choke chain on your dog while lead training, as this will give it the wrong idea about leads. Dog training should be done gently, with respect for your canine and you’ll find that he responds better.

3. Go slowly. There’s no need to leap into walking down the street with your dog. Training can be done slowly and it will be much smoother for it. For example, start with the collar only at first. Once the puppy is used to this, you can progress to attaching the lead. Try doing this while the puppy is being fed so he’ll associate it with something good. Then, once he’s used to having something attached to the collar, you can start picking it up. Don’t rush and you’ll be fine.

4. Nip bad habits in the bud. It’s important not to let your dog training go the wrong way. If your puppy is starting to pull on the lead, you’ll need to make sure you stop that little problem right away. A firm “no” and a little tug on the leash will usually work when used consistently, but you’ll have far more success with rewarding the right behavior. Which brings us to our next tip . . .

5. Praise and reward. Dogs want to please their humans and yours will be no exception. Even a few words of praise will go a long way toward making your dog want to continue the behavior. The great thing about this method of puppy training is that you can’t go wrong! As long as you are consistent with the reward or praise, your dog will rapidly learn the new behavior . . . in this case, walking on a lead.

There are a lot of advantages to having your dog trained to use a leash and not pull. For one, you’ll be able to enjoy walks out with your dog and so will your canine friend. It’s also safer, as any dog obedience class will teach you, since you don’t need to worry about your dog getting loose and running out into the street when he’s walking happily beside you.