Ideas for house training your puppy

We all expect our dogs to learn not to relieve themselves in the house, but it can sometimes take a good amount of time to achieve this. While it is easy to jump to the conclusion that your dog just can’t be house-trained, there are actually a couple reasons why your dog may choose not to go outside. If your pet just doesn’t seem to get it, be sure to get an examination with a veterinarian. The doctor will check for any physical reasons and will recommend your next step depending on what they find. There may also be behavior issues behind the unsavory behavior; in which case a visit to a trainer will be beneficial. Mandy Stickle, who trains out of Sirius Fun Doggy Daycare, can help you with any behavioral issues, or just with setting up a good consistent routine for house-training. Her number is 970-402-4606.

Aside from these underlying problems, we recommend you try the following to house-train your puppies:

- Whenever your dog is inside the house, he/she must either be in a crate or with you. This can be accomplished by either keeping them on a leash that you hold or gating them into the room you are in. This needs to happen until your dog is definitely 100% trained.
- When your dog prepares to relieve himself, you must act immediately! Take him to the spot where you want him to go and give him a minute or two.
- If he goes, then he can go back inside and be by your side again. However, if he fails to go, put him in a crate for 15 minutes then try again. Repeat this process until he goes to the bathroom in the appropriate place. At this point, he can rejoin you inside; the greatest reward in his eyes!
- One thing to keep in mind is that if your dog soiled any area inside your house, that scent must be eliminated. Using vinegar and water or having your floors professionally cleaned seem to be the most effective solutions. The over the counter products mask the scent from our noses, but not to dogs’.
- Also, if you have a little dog, it may behoove you to actually train him to use a litterbox. Some little dogs have much better success with this option.

We wish you the best of luck training your little furry bundle of joy! As always, feel free to call us at West Ridge Animal Hospital, 970-330-7283, if you have any questions at all.