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Training Medium Dogs

House-training (Or Housebreaking)

House-training is usually a frustrating process for many dog owners. Before your dog is fully toilet trained, keep him in an area of your house where he is not able to soil your best persian carpet or favorite rug. Medium Dog Guide recommends some tips to ease the house-breaking pains:

  1. Decide where you want your dog to treat as his toilet area. Always bring him to the same area during the training period so that your dog will understand that this is the place that he should use as his toilet area.
  2. Experts recommend using a crate for house-training by making use of the fact that dogs will always try not to dirty their resting or eating areas. If you do not want to use a crate, confine him to a small area during the house-training period and cover the area with newspapers.
  3. Stick to a fixed schedule for feeding and bringing your dog to his toilet area. Avoid leaving food in his bowl for the whole day. Remove the food after placing it in the bowl for 15 minutes. Puppies under 3 months old should be fed 3 or 4 times a day. A recommended schedule for puppies is to take your pup to the toilet area after his first meal of the day in the morning, after his afternoon meal, after dinner and just before his bed-time. For very young puppies, an additional time in the middle of the night may be necessary as they are not able to hold their bladder for more than a few hours each time.
  4. Look at the signals your dog is giving, by observing carefully you will know when he is signalling to you that he needs to go to the toilet.
  5. Always stay with your dog throughout the time he is at the toilet area and always praise him warmly after he successfully relieves himself. If your dog does not relieve himself at the toilet area, try again after 20 minutes or so.
  6. Remember patience is the key. If accidents happen while you are not looking, try not to shout at your dog. Just clean the place so that there is no odour left behind. If it happens while you are supervising him, give a firm "no" command and bring him to his toilet area immediately.
  7. For puppy housetraining, housetraining pads like the * Four Paws Wee-Wee Pads Puppy Housebreaking Pads may be very helpful in the housetraining process. These pads contain a scent that some puppies are attracted to. Thus, placing the pad at the assigned toilet areas will make it easier for them to learn to relieve themselves at these areas only.

 

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