Getting our puppy to do his business in the same place is possibly one of the first goals we set for ourselves when our puppy arrives home. Not in vain, when our puppy relieves himself in inappropriate places, such as the floor, carpets or sofa, we quickly look for solutions to correct it as soon as possible Dog trainer spring Texas. In this article we explain in a simple and effective way how to teach your puppy to relieve himself in the same place.
Before starting training
To teach your puppy to relieve himself you will need time, patience and perseverance. It is about training your dog, a habit that will take time to learn, and even more so when it is a puppy. It is important to understand that puppies do not come home knowing which is the right place to relieve themselves , we are the ones who must teach them. You have to keep in mind that during the training process your puppy will make more than one “mistake”. Do not get frustrated if you do not see quick results and above all do not punish him, since this will achieve nothing and could even worsen or slow down the results of the training.
What are we going to need?
To teach our puppy to relieve himself in the place we want, we will need two things:
Training pads : they will help us maintain hygiene at home and will provide our dog with a fixed point where he can relieve himself. These soakers absorb urine, turn it into gel and prevent it from coming into contact with the floor, preventing it from being damaged. There are alternatives such as litter boxes (like those used by cats), newspaper (cheaper but less hygienic) or even artificial grass .
Primary reinforcement (food) If every time our dog relieves himself in a specific place we reward him, he will tend to repeat it. That is why we must provide ourselves with primary reinforcement and food is usually, in most cases, the most effective. Find something that is delicious for your dog and (biscuits, sausage pieces, chicken, etc…) cut them into small portions. Put them in a bag and always have them on hand.
We start training
Once we have the necessary material we will begin our training. The first step is to understand when our puppy needs to do his needs. This will help us take our puppy to the soaker at these times and reward him when he does so so that, little by little, he creates the habit. Generally, puppies relieve themselves at three times a day: after sleeping, playing and eating. The process will be as follows:
- Take your dog to the soaker: minutes after sleeping, eating and playing, take him to the soaker
- Wait a few minutes: Give your dog time to relieve himself, this may take a few minutes.
- Reward your dog: if you see him doing his thing in the soaker, reward him immediately with a piece of food and praise (for example: “very good”). It is important that you do it at the right time, so that he can associate the action (relieving himself in the pad) with the consequence (receiving delicious food).
Never punish him
I understand how frustrating it can be when your dog eliminates in your bedroom, on your bed, or on surfaces that are difficult to clean. Also how frustrating it is to see your puppy suddenly relieve himself in a place he shouldn’t when he had been doing the right thing for days. But remember what I told you at the beginning. Your puppy will make mistakes, and you should not punish him. There are times when puppies do their business accidentally (very common when they become overexcited) or because they simply cannot contain themselves. Punishing him will only add frustration and damage the trusting relationship with your puppy . Be understanding with your puppy and be patient, with proper training the results will not take long to arrive.