Tips on Housebreaking Your Puppy

You have just brought the newest member of your family home, which is a cute adorable puppy, and now the fun begins. Now you are the loving caretaker of this tiny puppy and part of your responsibilities is to make sure your puppy becomes housebroken. You may think that this will be a long-drawn out process but actually it won't be hard as you think.

You should always have your new puppy seen by a veterinarian before you set up your housebreaking schedule. They can guide you on when your type of breed of dog needs to be fed and how many times a day. They will also be able to tell you if your pup is healthy and ready to be housebroken.

The most important thing to establish is a routine. A routine will reduce the amount of accidents and will also let you and your pup knows when it's time to go outside. There is a general rule that says: for every month a puppy is old, it can wait one hour to go outside. This means that if your puppy is three months old, he should be able to wait three hours before having to go outside.

That is a general rule and all puppies are different. For the first couple of days you should try to take him or her out every two hours. If you set up a regular schedule and follow some of the tips described below; your new puppy will be housebroken in no time.

Watch for the signs that your pup needs to go outside and relieve themselves. Observe the puppy's behavior and actions and soon you will be able to tell when they need to go to the bathroom. Some of the signs to watch for are: the pup is sniffing at the door, turning in circles while sniffing, and scratching, standing or barking at the door. These are all signs that they are looking for a place to do their business.

You should always take your new puppy outside the first thing in the morning before anything else and the last thing you do be fore you retire to bed. Most young puppies are not able to go all night without have to go to the bathroom. While they are in the toilet training process you should have a small room or area which they can sleep and be contained when you are not there or at night when you are asleep.

Make sure that it is a place that you can clean up easily, such as a tiled bathroom floor. You can lay down newspaper or purchase special puppy pads which are absorbent. Never scold or hit your puppy when they have an accident. When they go outside and relieve themselves make sure you praise them and tell them what a good puppy they are.

You should also try to remember never to leave your pup unattended in the house or outside. If the pup can't be under your watchful eyes they should be contained in their designated room or penned up in an outside area. Any place in your home that your pup has messed in needs to be thoroughly cleaned. You should use something that will take away the odor. Dogs and puppies will usually mess again in an area if they can smell the lingering odor of their last accident.

Try to set up a regular feeding schedule and take away any food or water about two hours before putting them up for the night. This will decrease accidents and make it easier for the pup to last through the night. Always take the pup outside after they have finished eating.

Another way that people have found to train their puppy to be housebroken is to use a method called "crate training". To use this method you would put your pup in a dog crate or dog kennel which is especially made for animals. You would put the pup in their crate at night and when you were going to be away for a short period of time.

Most dogs won't mess in the area where they sleep and the crate gives them the feeling of being in a small cave or home. Using a crate is a good way to help your new pup to become housebroken. Dogs and puppies usually like crates because it gives them a special place to be alone and feel secure.

Just remember to have some patience and understanding. The newest member of your family is just learning all the rules and wants to please you more than anything. If you set up a routine and a regular feeding time everything will run smoother and the pup will understand and quickly become housebroken.

Soon all the extra time and effort used to help your pup become housebroken will pay off and you will have many years ahead of you to enjoy their company. It is always a good thing to look into buying dog insurance for your new puppy. This will help you be prepared incase your pet does develops a disease or has an unexpected accident. Pet insurance can give you peace of mind and also help pay for unexpected veterinarian bills.