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House Training and Other Great Dog Training Tips

Updated on August 26, 2013

House training and Crating

How to House Train Your Dog

House Training Basics

Dogs, puppies especially have to go to the bathroom when they wake up, after they eat and when excited like in the middle of play.

Crates can be especially helpful. You usually put them in the crate for 15 to 30 minutes after they have eaten, if you have an unsuccessful trip outside and after drinking water. Have you ever taken your dog outside and they did their business but then came back inside and did it again? This is common the best way to teach your dog to relieve themselves all at once is to crate them for twenty or thirty minutes after you have taken them to go potty. Then take them out to potty once more before turning them loose in the house. Supervision is Very important!! Your puppy is always with you right? Following you everywhere and staying in the same room as you... Anytime I notice my puppy leaving the room or missing from the room I immediately take them outside.

Supervise your dog during free time. Signs that she may need to go out are usually sniffing the ground, acting anxious, whining and hopefully going to the door. If you catch your pet in the act make a loud sound like an EEEH. You know that Mama sound that stops you in your tracks. Take them outside immediately to their spot. It helps greatly to keep your dog confined to one area or room of your house and slowly as house training progresses expand their living area. This is especially helpful when training a puppy to use a pad. If you start off with your puppy having the run of the entire house the odds are it will not learn as quickly to use the puppy pad consistently.

Each time you take your dog outside at first they should be on a leash. Take them to the same spot in the yard, giving the same command ex. Go potty, do your business, etc. You should wait a reasonable amount of time for them to go to the bathroom say five minuets, if they don’t go potty take them back to the crate for 15 to 30 minutes and try again. Taking them on leash to the same area of your yard each time teaches your dog faster what it is they are supposed to be doing out there, not walking; not playing plus the scent of the previous business attracts them to go potty again. After your dog has finished using the bathroom you can turn them loose to play in the yard, take them for a walk etc. Think of it this way if they are simply let out of the house as far as they are concerned it's go play and potty outside and go play and potty in the house! One more great piece of advice, give your dog a treat and praise AFTER they are done with their business. Give them the treat outside not after they have gotten back in the house. If you take your dog or puppy for a walk take them to their area before you leave your house and again BEFORE going back in the house.

Big bonus for you taking them to the same spot each time they need to go out when house training is complete your dog will still go to the same area of your yard to use the bathroom (You won't have to watch for BOMBS, cleaning up the yard will be easy) and if you're in a hurry you won't have to wait around on your dog to go potty they will have learned to go as soon as they go out!

Barking in the Crate

I like to compare barking in the crate to a child throwing a fit for candy in the store. You take your daughter to the store she asks for candy you say no... she gets upset you say no... then give in. The next trip to the store your daughter asks for candy you say no she gets upset you say no... she gets really upset you give in. What your teaching her is that by throwing a fit she gets what she wants Right? Same thing goes for the dog in the crate. NEVER let your dog out of the crate when it is barking or throwing a fit.

There are 4 ways you reward your dog for good and whether you mean to or not bad behavior, Looking at them, Talking to them, Touching them and Giving them treats. When your dog is going about getting you attention or what they want in an inappropriate way you withhold all attention until they behave correctly.

When your dog is barking in the crate don't look, touch or talk to your dog. When they take a brief pause look at them start to move toward the crate if they start barking or pawing against the crate turn around when they stop turn and move toward them again. Your dog will catch on to this that when it barks, paws or acts up it gets the opposite of what it wants. Anytime your dog behaves inappropriately give them the opposite of what they want.

Don’t let your dog out of the crate unless they are calm. Don’t force your dog into the crate. Have the door open tell the dog a command, I tell mine “go in” give them no other option but to willingly walk in. I put a leash on the dog or put my hand and arm out to block a retreat. I don’t push them in or pull on the leash I stay steady and calm until they walk on in. If the dog is scared of the crate don’t put it in and walk off. Gradually work up to that. Get the dog to walk into the crate, shut the door and stay there beside it when the dog is calm open the door and let it out repeat but for slightly longer times. You can drop treats into the crate when the dog is calm also. Let them stay there longer depending upon your dogs tolerance of it. Importantly stay calm when you let your dog out. Getting excited when they come out makes that a big deal and your dog may get separation anxiety.

Separation Anxiety

A dog with separation anxiety should not be put into a crate. Separation anxiety can generally be prevented and cured with this piece of information. Think about this your dog is home alone all day and when you come home it’s the highlight of their day!! It is of course the highlight of our day too!

However, if you have kids you know daycare teachers and Elementary School teachers say not to make a big deal when it's time for you to leave your children and your kids will adjust to the separation faster with less anxiety. The cure for separation anxiety with your dog is very similar, don’t make a big deal about leaving and when you get home ignore your dogs until they are calm. That is a hard one. It’s a hard thing to do and it’s a hard thing to suggest you do this but this is what it takes. Your coming home is the highlight of their day and that’s what they think about all day. If you act like it’s no big deal your dog will too. Not that they won’t miss you it just won’t be as bad when you're gone.

Teaching your dog to signal.

To teach your dog to go to the door as a signal to go out, have your dog sit at the door each time before you open it for them. After a couple of days stop asking your dog to sit, wait patiently at the door and see if they caught on by sitting without being told. Any time during this process that your dog wanders over to the door unprovoked have them sit at the door briefly and take them outside. It can be hard to train a dog to use a back door when you don’t know they are at the door or can’t see them sitting there. In that case you can do the same thing only for example each time before you take your dog out ask it to sit at your feet or in a designated highly visible place in your home to signal you to take them outside.

Another useful signal to teach your dog is to ring a bell. If you have a large house and your bell is hung on the door you may not be able to hear it! Hang the bells anywhere in your house where you will notice them ringing. Christmas bells, any old bell hung from a string at your dogs’ level, they should be able to paw it. Each time before you take your dog outside you ring the bell. Do NOT force your dog do it. Your dog will not catch on quickly if you make it ring the bell. I will teach you the touch command and you can use that to help teach your dog to ring the bell to go outside or you can usually just hold the bells out and most dogs will touch their nose to it automatically out of curiosity. If they do say good or lots of praise! And take them outside immediately.

If your dog barks in the house and you need to control this you can make that your dogs signal to go outJ (I wouldn’t try this with a dog that barks incessantly). Each time your dog barks take them outside if they don’t go put them in the crate. Same thing can be done for whining.

If you teach your dog to speak or bark on command have them do that each time before you take them outside. Use caution teaching your dog to speak! I have met people whose dogs follow them around the house barking at them. If you have a problem with your dog barking for attention give them the opposite of what they want and they will stop. For example your dog is barking don’t look at them, talk to them or touch them. As soon as they stop you look if they bark pretend they disappeared, when they quit look back…. It works.

One of my dogs ( Albert or I prefer to call him Fat Albert, Alberto or French pronounced Albear).  He has a golden retriever color on Pyrenees hair with a bulldog body type and  overbite.
One of my dogs ( Albert or I prefer to call him Fat Albert, Alberto or French pronounced Albear). He has a golden retriever color on Pyrenees hair with a bulldog body type and overbite.

Dog Training Tips

If your dog has a favorite spot in your home to go potty leave food for your dog in that area. Your dog will associate that area as a place for eating and will stop using that area as a restroom. After successfully reclaiming that area as part of your home continue with the other areas. You can also place their bed in those places where they like to use the bathroom and achieve the same result.

When your dog has an accident in the house clean it up with an enzymatic cleaner! Never use anything with ammonia to clean up after your dog. Ammonia attracts them to go to the bathroom.

If you don't have a crate keeping your dog confined to a small room during the times he would be in the crate can work just as well. I used my small bathroom as a holding place. However some dogs have been known to dig at the floor and chew on the door frames so just like with the crate don't leave your dog in the bathroom or elsewhere if they are scared.

Keep an eye on your dog when housetraining. It’s easy to miss signals. When you see them leave the room often it’s to…. If you’re busy try tethering your dog to you with a long leash this really helps when you’re focused on something like the TV, Computer, dishes etc.

After house training some crafty dogs will start giving you the signal to go out when they want to go play. To stop this start taking them out on a leash again, a few days of that should discourage them from taking advantage of the signal.

I really hope this helped you out if you need further assistance with these issues don’t hesitate to contact me at Petco!

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