Dog Potty Training

You may be wondering if getting a dog was a good idea in the first place because potty training a dog is no easy task. This seems to sometimes be an obstacle when you get a new puppy and you're extremely excited to get to all of the fun stuff. Yet, dog potty training doesn't have to be as bad as it may seem, and it certainly doesn't have to get in the way of your love for your poochy.

If you'll follow a method that teaches your dog exactly where to go potty, as well helping him along with a nutritious diet, a strict schedule, and a truckload of praise, praise, praise, you'll get through potty training your dog with flying colors. Just bring your patience along for the ride. The rest of this article will teach you exactly how to get through all of this.

You Can't Have Just a Tight Leash....You Need a Tight Schedule As Well...

Your dog potty training schedule can either make or break the entire process so it's vital that you get this part right. You have to take your dog out very frequently in the beginning, getting them used to a schedule or routine. Many people think that they can just take the dog out when they think that he/she needs to go to the bathroom, but though that may save your carpet a bit for the time being, it won't save it for the long run.

To make the process more effective you want to create a routine for the dog that teaches him to go on demand. The key to this is to take the dog to the same exact spot each time and take him on a leash. This will then register to the dog that this is the place for it to go. Also, make sure that you physically take him yourself and show him praise when he goes in the spot. As well, taking the dog out on the leash will teach the dog that when he's on a leash, and he gets to this spot it's time to go potty.

Now let me give you a huge hint that you'll love me for. When you get outside, never play with the dog first and then take him to go. Take him to get the potty stuff done with right away, and then reward him with playtime, as apposed to letting him play and then trying to fight with him to go to the bathroom.

What happens is that the dog will then associate that going to the bathroom means that he'll have to go right into the house afterwards, therefore to avoid going back into the house he'll put off going to the bathroom as long as possible. The first dog training method works on a reward system in your favor and not his.

Getting your dog used to words for going to the bathroom is important as well. Using words like "Go Potty" or "Good dog, go potty" will teach the dog that this means just what it says. To go potty!

If you've got a puppy you'll likely have to take him/her out frequently throughout the night at first. However, this will decrease as it gets used to and is able to hold its bladder longer giving you more sleepy time.

Don't Overlook This When You're Potty Training Your Pooch!

Sometimes, even if you're doing everything perfectly, you'll wonder why you're dog isn't doing what the heck he's supposed to be doing and not having accidents on your precious rug. Well, what might be happening is that your not giving your doggy the right diet. You must remember to never give your dog sweet, low nutrient treats but rather a diet of high nutrition dog food, as well as treats that are good for your pooch. You'll likely see a huge difference rather quickly at this point.

"Good Job Doggy!"

No, not you! This is actually what you should be saying to your pooch. Of course you will have times when you may have to raise your voice to effectively warn your dog that doing something is wrong, but the main thing that you should be doing is giving your dog a ton of praise, on top of more praise.

Giving you're dog a reward of attention, as well some playtime and a treat here and there will do wonders for your dog potty training progress, as well as for your bond that you're creating with him.

Training a dog is something that many people attempt, but fail at. The reason for this is the fact that it takes time to learn how to train a dog effectively, as well as the fact that many myths have unfortunately been passed down the ages, giving false information on the mindset required to train a dog, as well as the techniques that are commonly used.

Those who know what they're doing and have effectively trained a number of dogs know that there's only a handful of techniques that work, as well as a handful of requirements. Here are the top 5 mistakes that most make when trying to potty train a dog, which is probably one of the most important aspects of enjoying a pet.

1. The number one rule that most people make, and usually innocently will make their dog suffer is by waiting much too long in between the dogs' potty breaks.

Much like a human, a dog can only hold it's bladder for so long. Four hours should be the limit of time for your dog to go without a break. Please be sure to have someone on hand to take your dog out if your can't be there to do it.

2. Most people just randomly take their dog out for potty breaks. Most especially in the beginning you should adhere to a very strict schedule, this goes for night times too.

3. The Cardinal Rule that's most often broken is when people use punishment as a tool for potty training a dog. Rubbing your dogs face in his/her accident does NOT help at all. If anything it will make the process take much, much longer because it sends the dog mixed messages that he doesn't understand. Dog's learn best like children learn, through praise and reward.

4. Taking a dog to a different spot every time. This will also confuse the heck out of your dog, since he'll have no reference point to associate praise to. The clearer the message you send to your doggy, the quicker he or she will learn what to do right every single time.

Even with all of that said, it takes a lot of patience to potty train a dog and you should expect and leave room for plenty of accidents. However, the more reward and praise the dog gets, the faster he'll likely get the idea.