Failure in House-Training Swells Numbers of Unwanted Pets

By Nancy Lavender

House-training is the most important skill you will teach your dog or cat.

Nothing erodes the bond-building between you and your new dog or cat more quickly, than poops and puddles on your carpets and floors. It's just so stressful!

Maybe you spent weeks persuading your family (usually Mum is the one to get around!) that you must have this adorable new pet and now everyone is cross and upset. The home, you all have to live in, reeks of wee...!

Right so what to do...

The most important thing is to remember that an animal will instinctively want to urinate or defecate away from their eating and sleeping area. So the way to go about it, is to think of this eating and sleeping area as their "cave" and they will want to go to the toilet outside their "cave", which is a spot in your garden chosen by you.

The "cave" should be a small part of the house - somewhere where there are no carpets or upholstery, so that when accidents happen (and they will, until he gets the hang of it) then here cleaning up is easy.

As the puppy becomes house-trained, he can be slowly given more freedom in the house.

A young puppy should not be left alone for long periods, but when this happens, leave him in his "cave" but don't lay newspaper down. He will think that the newspaper is his toilet and will not learn to hang on and go outside when you arrive home. He will think it is okay to wee in the corner, inside the house - with or without newspaper!

When you are with him, which should be most of the time during these early important days (puppies like babies need their "Mum" around as much as possible) take him outside at regular intervals. Take him to the same spot each time and stay only a few minutes. If he goes, praise him lavishly and go back inside. If he doesn't go within a few minutes, take him back inside. Don't stay outside and play, otherwise he will not get the message. This trip outside must be strictly for toilet purposes.

If you use this method of going to the same spot (the one you chose away from play / BBQ areas!) your dog will learn to always go there and not just anywhere in the garden. Nothing worse than your lawn getting burnt or piles of poop any old where...

Perseverance is key...and so worth it ... enjoy building that bond between you and your beloved (house-trained!) dog.

Nancy Lavender http://www.your-dogs.com http://www.flowers-in-art.com I have a passion for animals and the countryside and all it offers. I feel a responsibility for the preservation of what we have in our world for the generations to come.