House Training
Puppies pee, and poop - a lot and often. If you've never lived with a puppy, you'd be amazed by the number of times the little fur balls need to go potty. Every hour or two, they start sniffing and circling, looking for a place to do their business. If owners aren't watchful, accidents can frequently happen.
Not surprisingly, house training is the first lesson new owners want to teach their pups, and rightfully so: House-training is the foundation for good behavior. Without it, dogs can't become members of the family, and they run the risk of being exiled to the backyard, never getting the attention and social interaction that they need and deserve.
Happily, the secrets to successful house-training are simple: Time, patience, consistency and supervision are all that's needed. Puppies are quick learners. A regular potty schedule, combined with praise for going in the right spot, and they'll soon get the idea. Dogs are naturally clean animals, and they don't want to soil their living area. House-training teaches dogs that the house is the living area and the yard { or whatever spot you choose} is the potty area.
If you are planning on litter box training your pup the best way is to get them paper trained first in the area you will be placing the litter box. When your puppy is big enough to get in the litter box you can replace the papers with the box. I suggest this method for all small dogs and especially if you live in a high rise or any living quarters that is not easily attainable to the outdoors. Remember to always use a praise the same every time. Keep tiny treats in your pocket so you can reward him the instant he's through eliminating {don't interrupt him before he's finished}. Make sure to have playtime soon after this so he associates this with doing good potty habits.
Start out in a small area with paper in one area. As he or she learns that the paper is the proper place to go you can expand the area. Remember, the first thing in the morning your puppy will need to eliminate so take this chance to place her where you expect her to go whether it be outside or on the paper.
I work with all the puppies everyday going to the bathroom on newspapers. I find that they just want to play with the pee-pee pads that can be bought at any pet store because they have a plastic backing, however, they do prevent the urine from penetrating to the floor.
When you first bring your puppy home immediately place newspaper in a small area where puppy will be staying until he is ready to be introduced to the rest of the home. When he or she starts sniffing and or maybe going around in circles. This is a for sure sign that it is bathroom time. Take the puppy and place him on the newspapers until he eliminates. Then praise he or she highly and offer a SMALL treat such as a piece of Captain Crunch cereal. Do not use liver treats until your puppy has matured this can cause Coccidia . It has been my experience that a small treat with peanut butter works well. Since it is not easy to carry around peanut butter I suggest the cereal. At any rate a high verbal praise may be all that is needed.
When you have puppy familiar with the location at which you want he or she to use you can expand the area in which you allow puppy to roam. Keeping a close eye out for the sniffing and circling so as to prevent any accidents which must be cleaned thoroughly with vinegar to cancel out the scent so your puppy is not tempted to go in this spot again. When your puppy is having no problem finding the newspaper or pee-pee pad you should start to move it towards the door that you want he or she to exit thru to go potty. When puppy is totally sure of the location to go at you will have he or she going to the door and you can move the paper outside. There you have accomplished housebreaking.
