K9 Calendars & More

House Training a Puppy
by Mary Davis

Get A Pet as A Companion
Ready To Take Care of a Pet?
Puppies as Pets
Choosing Pets
Picking the Right Dog Breed
Buy the perfect puppy
Choosing A Good Dog Breeder
Truth About Pet Store Puppies
Bringing Home Your Puppy
Dog Names
Using a Dog Crate
Puppy-Proofing Your Home
Dog Crates
Mistakes by Puppy Owners
Dog Comfort Within Your Home
Your Dog and Your Furniture
House Training a Puppy
Socializing your Pet
Buying Dog Toys
Mistakes in Raising Dogs
Choosing a Leash for Your Dog
Dog Grooming
The ABC's of Pet Grooming
Communicate w/ Your Dog
Stop Excessive Barking
Adorable Tricks To Teach Your Dog
Annual Vet Visits?
Pet Vaccination Schedule
Top Ten Dog Diseases?
Dog for Food Allergies
Treating Arthritis In Dogs
Hip Dysplasia In Dogs
Is your dog sick
Canine Distemper
Kennel Cough
Parvovirus
Heart Disease
Heartworm Disease
Hepatitis In Dogs
Piroplasmosis
Dog Separation Anxiety
Dog's Dietary Requirements
Is your Dog Fat?
First Aid For Your Dog
Lyme Disease in Dogs
Bathing Tips For Dogs
Choosing Dog Obedience School
Dog Travel Tips
Your Dog Goes Missing
If Disaster Strikes
Interview a Pet Sitter
Dangers At The Dog Park
Dog Chewing
Stop Dog From Digging
Older Dogs Have Special Needs

There is nothing more fun than bringing home a new puppy -- for everyone except the person who has to clean up after it! While there is no fool-proof method for house training a puppy, crate training has proven quite successful. Crate training effectively teaches the puppy to "hold it" until given the opportunity to relieve himself somewhere more suitable. However, this is not an excuse to crate your new puppy for long periods of time.

This method of house training a puppy is based on the premise that a puppy would rather not mess up its living area if it doesn't have to. Puppies should NOT be left in a crate for too long. If your puppy goes to the bathroom in the crate because it could no longer "hold it," the training process will be drastically compromised.

How does one handle house training a puppy in this manner?

If no one is in your home during the day, you should put the puppy in a bathroom or another small, uncarpeted area in your home that can be blocked off. House training a puppy should only take place when you are at home. When you arrive home, take your pup out on a leash. After you play with it for a while put it in the crate. Wait an hour or so and then take it out again. If it relieves himself, shower it with praise. If it doesn't, put it back in the crate and try again about 45 minutes later. This process should be repeated until the puppy is successful.

After it goes to the bathroom it should be allowed to play free in the house. Some people find it helpful to keep a diary of the times their puppy eliminates. While this seems bizarre, it helps you to determine your puppy's habits, thus enabling you to decrease the time it has to spend in the crate.

The most important thing to remember with house training a puppy is to be consistent and offer it an enormous amount of praise. The process may take a while and it is important to understand that if the puppy has an accident during the training, it is okay. You should just increase the frequency of trips outside. If the puppy has an accident after its training has stopped, don't punish it, just revert back to the training process temporarily and you will be back on track in no time.

About the Author
Dorothy Brown contributes articles to several web sites, on home and family and family pets issues.