Edited by Keith Taylor, Josh W., Imperatrix, Brigitta M. and 33 othersPin ItArticle EditDiscussPuppies aren't born knowing how to play nicely, relieve themselves in a designated place in the yard and walk proudly beside you on a leash. It takes several months of focused attention to teach a puppy how to coexist in your home. Use a firm but gentle training style to guide your puppy through the lessons she needs to learn, and before you know it she will grow into a mature, well-behaved dog with a special place in your family. Here's how to get started. Steps
Housetraining a Puppy1Start a routine. Puppies need a consistent routine in order to learn where they are supposed to relieve themselves. It's important to start teaching the puppy to go outside when she feels the urge as soon as you bring her home. Plan to take her outside on a set schedule every day: first thing in the morning, after every meal, after playtime, and right before bed.[1]
Watch your puppy for signs she has to go to the bathroom. As you get to know her better, you should be able to tell when she's about to go; take her outside immediately.Feed your puppy at the same time every day so you can predict when she'll need to go outside.Very young puppies have to go to the bathroom as often as once an hour.[2] That means you or a family member will need to be available to take your puppy outside that often.If you aren't available to housetrain your puppy during the day, it's important to hire someone else to do it. If you don't start early, it may take your dog a long time to learn not to go to the bathroom in the house.2Confine your puppy to a certain area in the house. For the first few months you will need to keep a careful eye on your puppy so that you can take her outside as soon as she has to go to the bathroom. If you give her too much freedom around the house at first, she'll learn to go to the bathroom wherever she wants, and you won't always be able to catch it in time.[3]Keep her in a crate at night and while you're away. The crate should be a small, comfortable place where the puppy feels safe - never use it as a source of punishment. Puppies don't like to go to the bathroom in their crates, so make sure you take your puppy outside before putting her in the crate and as soon as you take her out of the crate so she isn't forced to soil her little home.Puppies should be able to sleep for about 7 hours before they wake up and need to go to the bathroom, but you should line the crate with towels in case she has an accident in the middle of the night.If your puppy wakes you up by barking in the night, quietly take her outside to do her business and then put her back in her bed.3Pick a designated bathroom spot outside. Having a place that the puppy associates with going to the bathroom will help her learn not to go in the house. She'll start wanting to go to that spot to relieve herself, and eventually she'll learn to wait until you take her there instead of going to the bathroom inside.
Use language to strengthen the puppy's association with the spot. Say "go potty" or just "potty" when you set her down. Don't use the word anywhere but in that spot.Many people choose a far corner of the yard, sometimes a place that is fenced off, as the spot where their dog goes to the bathroom. If you don't have a yard, choose a spot close to your home or apartment. It doesn't matter where the location is as long as you take your puppy to the same spot every time.4Praise your puppy for a job well done. When the puppy successfully goes to the bathroom in her designated spot, praise her, pet her and give her a treat.[4] The promise of a reward will encourage her to perform the same good behavior again.The praise and treat should be given to your puppy immediately after she goes to the bathroom, while she's still in her bathroom spot. If you wait, she'll associate the praise with something else.If you praise your puppy before she has gone to the bathroom, she may get confused.5Know how to handle accidents. When your puppy has an accident inside the house - and she certainly will - don't overreact by yelling at her or scaring her. Interrupt her while she's doing her business by picking her up and taking her immediately to her bathroom spot. When finishes going to the bathroom there, reward her.[5]
If you find a mess behind the sofa or somewhere else in your house, it's too late to discipline the puppy. Don't rub her nose in it; she'll just get confused and scared, and she won't understand what you're trying to teach her.Clean messes up thoroughly, since if the area still smells like urine puppies will instinctually want to go to the bathroom there again.
Training a Puppy to Play Nicely1Let your puppy play with other puppies. Puppies naturally learn how to socialize by playing with other puppies. Very young puppies don't know that they can hurt others with their teeth. They learn by playing; when one puppy bites another puppy too hard, the puppy yelps and stops playing. In this way, puppies learn to control how hard they bite.[6]
2Discourage your puppy from biting you. Play with your puppy the way another puppy would; by tickling her and wrestling with her until she starts to nip at you. When she bites your hand, let out a high-pitched yelp, just the way another puppy would. Let your hand go limp and stop playing. Your puppy will learn that when she bites, she doesn't get attention anymore.
Your puppy will probably try to making up for the bite by nuzzling and licking your hand. Praise her in a sweet voice and reward her with a treat, then keep playing with her. She'll learn that playing nicely gets rewarded.[7]Never spank a puppy to cause her pain in return. Using physical punishment against a puppy will only make her afraid of you.3Give your puppy chew toys. Puppies love to use their teeth, and they have to be taught that human skin is not for chewing. Provide plenty of puppy-safe chew toys for your puppy to gnaw on during play time.
When your puppy starts nipping at your skin, put a chew toy in her mouth. This will teach her that she should be chewing on the toy instead of your hand.Do the same thing if your puppy nips at your heels and ankles when you walk around. Stop walking and give her a chew toy. If you don't have a toy handy, just stop. When she starts playing nicely, praise her.[8]If she grabs something of yours, distract her and and swap the item for one of her own toys in its place.4Employ a time-out area. If your puppy is having trouble learning not to bite, you may need to create a time-out area, a place where you take her to teach her that if she can't play nice, she doesn't get to play. Cordon off a corner of her play room and take her there immediately when she bites.Don't use the puppy's crate as a time-out area. She should never associate being crated with punishment.After your puppy has been in time out for a few minutes, bring her back to play with the family. Reward her when she plays nicely. If she bites again, give a high-pitched yelp and take her right back to time out. Eventually she will learn not to bite.5Teach your puppy to play well with children. Children move quickly, make high-pitched noises and are often on face level with puppies. Puppies and children can have a lot of fun together, but they have to be taught to play properly. If your puppy gets rough with a child, put her in time out immediately. Make sure your kids know how to place nicely, too.
Tell your children not to provoke the puppy. Tell them that puppies are fragile, and they don't like having things stuck in their face. The puppy should never be threatened or made to feel unsafe.Teach your children how to deal with the puppy when she nips. Tell them never to spank her, but to give her a time out instead.Puppies should be taught to at least tolerate and ignore other household pets, too. Teach your puppy that you are more interesting than the pet rabbit/cat/chickens, and never give him the opportunity to chase or harass other pets.
Teaching a Puppy to Sit, Stay and Come1Start by teaching your puppy her name. In order to train your puppy effectively, make sure she knows her name. Say her name clearly. When she looks at you, give her a treat. Continue doing so until she learns that when you say her name, she should look at you. Now you can use her name before issuing other commands.
2Teach your puppy to sit. This is one of the easiest behaviors to teach a puppy, and almost any puppy can learn how to do it. The trick is to get your puppy to associate the act of placing her bottom on the floor with the sound of your voice saying "sit." Tell her to "sit" in a clear, firm but friendly voice. When she does, give her a treat.[9]Practice often. Sitting can be practiced inside, outside, and anywhere you take your puppy. Carry treats with you so you can turn any moment into a training session.Eventually phase out the treats so that your puppy can sit on command without a reward.3Teach your puppy to stay. Now that she can sit, teach her to stay seated. It's a slightly more complicated process, but the same command and reward system is used. Tell your dog to sit, and when she does, say "stay" and wait a few seconds. If she moves, tell her to "sit," then try again. When she successfully stays, reward her with treats and praise.
After she has learned how to stay in one place for about 10 seconds, start walking away after you tell her to stay. If she follows you, turn around and tell her to "sit." Say stay and walk away again. Be sure to reward her when she gets it right.Some puppies respond well to a hand signal with the "stay" command. Hold up your hand each time you say "stay." Eventually your puppy may be able to stay without hearing the verbal command.4Teach your puppy to come. It's easiest to do this with a partner. Have someone hold your puppy across the room or yard. Look at your puppy and say her name. When she looks at you, say "come" in a clear voice, and have your partner release her. Say her name again if she doesn't seem to know what to do at first. When she makes her way to you, reward her with praise and treats. Repeat this until she knows that "come" means she should run to you.[10]
Make it fun for your puppy to come to you by clapping, smiling, and acting excited when she does. Teach her that coming to you is the best thing she can do.Practice the "come" command often in a variety of situations. It's important that your puppy knows to come when she's called, so that when she's in a dangerous situation she doesn't end up getting lost or hurt.
Teaching a Puppy to Walk on a Leash1Let your puppy get tired before the walk. Puppies tend to pull on their leashes because they're full of extra energy and excited to be outside. If possible, tire your puppy out by playing with her before you put her on a leash for the day.
2Teach her to stand still while you put the leash on. Puppies often get excited when it's time to go outside, jumping up on their owners and barking in anticipation of going on a walk. This problem can go on for years if you don't resolve it while your puppy is still young. If she barks and jumps on you when you pick up a leash, wait until she is completely calm before putting it on. Do this over and over until she learns that she won't get to go outside until she behaves.3Use the red light, green light method. Start walking with your puppy outside. When she runs ahead and pulls on the leash, halt. Wait for her to turn around, say "come," and when she's at your side, tell her to "sit." Reward her with a treat, then continue walking. Repeat the process until she learns to walk alongside you instead of pulling on the leash.[11]When your puppy walks beside you, reward her frequently so she knows that's where she's supposed to walk.Continue using the red light, green light method for a few weeks. It may take awhile before your dog learns not to pull you down the street.
TipsUse the tone of your voice to tell her how you're feeling. Use a deep voice when you want the puppy to stop what she is doing, and a firm voice when training or commanding.Keep your rules and boundaries consistent at all times. If she's not allowed on the sofa, then she's never allowed on the sofa. Mean what you say, give her motivation to comply (treats, rewards), and be firm and be fair. Your puppy will feel confident and know exactly what to expect from you.
WarningsDon't use physical violence on your dog. Beware trainers who advise you to smack or yell at your dog.Never leave children unsupervised with dogs.
Related wikiHowsHow to Train a Guard DogHow to Crate Train Your Dog or PuppyHow to Teach Your Dog to Enter and Exit a Kennel Calmly Using Clicker TrainingHow to Teach Your Dog to Drop ItHow to Teach Your Dog to SitHow to Give Dogs What They NeedHow to Train a Dog to Sit PrettyHow to Treat Dog Splinters
Sources and Citations↑ http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/housetraining_puppies.html↑ http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-articles/house-training-your-puppy↑ http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/housetraining_puppies.html↑ http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/housetraining_puppies.html↑ http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/housetraining_puppies.html↑ http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/biting-puppy-how-train-puppy-bites↑ http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/biting-puppy-how-train-puppy-bites↑ http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/biting-puppy-how-train-puppy-bites?page=2↑ http://www.dog-obedience-training-review.com/training-your-dog-to-sit.html↑ http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-articles/teaching-your-dog-to-come-when-called↑ http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/teaching-dogs-not-to-pull-on-leashArticle Info Featured Article
Categories: Featured Articles | Dog Obedience
Was this article accurate?
YesNo
Housetraining a Puppy1Start a routine. Puppies need a consistent routine in order to learn where they are supposed to relieve themselves. It's important to start teaching the puppy to go outside when she feels the urge as soon as you bring her home. Plan to take her outside on a set schedule every day: first thing in the morning, after every meal, after playtime, and right before bed.[1]
Watch your puppy for signs she has to go to the bathroom. As you get to know her better, you should be able to tell when she's about to go; take her outside immediately.Feed your puppy at the same time every day so you can predict when she'll need to go outside.Very young puppies have to go to the bathroom as often as once an hour.[2] That means you or a family member will need to be available to take your puppy outside that often.If you aren't available to housetrain your puppy during the day, it's important to hire someone else to do it. If you don't start early, it may take your dog a long time to learn not to go to the bathroom in the house.2Confine your puppy to a certain area in the house. For the first few months you will need to keep a careful eye on your puppy so that you can take her outside as soon as she has to go to the bathroom. If you give her too much freedom around the house at first, she'll learn to go to the bathroom wherever she wants, and you won't always be able to catch it in time.[3]Keep her in a crate at night and while you're away. The crate should be a small, comfortable place where the puppy feels safe - never use it as a source of punishment. Puppies don't like to go to the bathroom in their crates, so make sure you take your puppy outside before putting her in the crate and as soon as you take her out of the crate so she isn't forced to soil her little home.Puppies should be able to sleep for about 7 hours before they wake up and need to go to the bathroom, but you should line the crate with towels in case she has an accident in the middle of the night.If your puppy wakes you up by barking in the night, quietly take her outside to do her business and then put her back in her bed.3Pick a designated bathroom spot outside. Having a place that the puppy associates with going to the bathroom will help her learn not to go in the house. She'll start wanting to go to that spot to relieve herself, and eventually she'll learn to wait until you take her there instead of going to the bathroom inside.Use language to strengthen the puppy's association with the spot. Say "go potty" or just "potty" when you set her down. Don't use the word anywhere but in that spot.Many people choose a far corner of the yard, sometimes a place that is fenced off, as the spot where their dog goes to the bathroom. If you don't have a yard, choose a spot close to your home or apartment. It doesn't matter where the location is as long as you take your puppy to the same spot every time.4Praise your puppy for a job well done. When the puppy successfully goes to the bathroom in her designated spot, praise her, pet her and give her a treat.[4] The promise of a reward will encourage her to perform the same good behavior again.The praise and treat should be given to your puppy immediately after she goes to the bathroom, while she's still in her bathroom spot. If you wait, she'll associate the praise with something else.If you praise your puppy before she has gone to the bathroom, she may get confused.5Know how to handle accidents. When your puppy has an accident inside the house - and she certainly will - don't overreact by yelling at her or scaring her. Interrupt her while she's doing her business by picking her up and taking her immediately to her bathroom spot. When finishes going to the bathroom there, reward her.[5]If you find a mess behind the sofa or somewhere else in your house, it's too late to discipline the puppy. Don't rub her nose in it; she'll just get confused and scared, and she won't understand what you're trying to teach her.Clean messes up thoroughly, since if the area still smells like urine puppies will instinctually want to go to the bathroom there again.Training a Puppy to Play Nicely1Let your puppy play with other puppies. Puppies naturally learn how to socialize by playing with other puppies. Very young puppies don't know that they can hurt others with their teeth. They learn by playing; when one puppy bites another puppy too hard, the puppy yelps and stops playing. In this way, puppies learn to control how hard they bite.[6]
2Discourage your puppy from biting you. Play with your puppy the way another puppy would; by tickling her and wrestling with her until she starts to nip at you. When she bites your hand, let out a high-pitched yelp, just the way another puppy would. Let your hand go limp and stop playing. Your puppy will learn that when she bites, she doesn't get attention anymore.Your puppy will probably try to making up for the bite by nuzzling and licking your hand. Praise her in a sweet voice and reward her with a treat, then keep playing with her. She'll learn that playing nicely gets rewarded.[7]Never spank a puppy to cause her pain in return. Using physical punishment against a puppy will only make her afraid of you.3Give your puppy chew toys. Puppies love to use their teeth, and they have to be taught that human skin is not for chewing. Provide plenty of puppy-safe chew toys for your puppy to gnaw on during play time.When your puppy starts nipping at your skin, put a chew toy in her mouth. This will teach her that she should be chewing on the toy instead of your hand.Do the same thing if your puppy nips at your heels and ankles when you walk around. Stop walking and give her a chew toy. If you don't have a toy handy, just stop. When she starts playing nicely, praise her.[8]If she grabs something of yours, distract her and and swap the item for one of her own toys in its place.4Employ a time-out area. If your puppy is having trouble learning not to bite, you may need to create a time-out area, a place where you take her to teach her that if she can't play nice, she doesn't get to play. Cordon off a corner of her play room and take her there immediately when she bites.Don't use the puppy's crate as a time-out area. She should never associate being crated with punishment.After your puppy has been in time out for a few minutes, bring her back to play with the family. Reward her when she plays nicely. If she bites again, give a high-pitched yelp and take her right back to time out. Eventually she will learn not to bite.5Teach your puppy to play well with children. Children move quickly, make high-pitched noises and are often on face level with puppies. Puppies and children can have a lot of fun together, but they have to be taught to play properly. If your puppy gets rough with a child, put her in time out immediately. Make sure your kids know how to place nicely, too.Tell your children not to provoke the puppy. Tell them that puppies are fragile, and they don't like having things stuck in their face. The puppy should never be threatened or made to feel unsafe.Teach your children how to deal with the puppy when she nips. Tell them never to spank her, but to give her a time out instead.Puppies should be taught to at least tolerate and ignore other household pets, too. Teach your puppy that you are more interesting than the pet rabbit/cat/chickens, and never give him the opportunity to chase or harass other pets.Teaching a Puppy to Sit, Stay and Come1Start by teaching your puppy her name. In order to train your puppy effectively, make sure she knows her name. Say her name clearly. When she looks at you, give her a treat. Continue doing so until she learns that when you say her name, she should look at you. Now you can use her name before issuing other commands.
2Teach your puppy to sit. This is one of the easiest behaviors to teach a puppy, and almost any puppy can learn how to do it. The trick is to get your puppy to associate the act of placing her bottom on the floor with the sound of your voice saying "sit." Tell her to "sit" in a clear, firm but friendly voice. When she does, give her a treat.[9]Practice often. Sitting can be practiced inside, outside, and anywhere you take your puppy. Carry treats with you so you can turn any moment into a training session.Eventually phase out the treats so that your puppy can sit on command without a reward.3Teach your puppy to stay. Now that she can sit, teach her to stay seated. It's a slightly more complicated process, but the same command and reward system is used. Tell your dog to sit, and when she does, say "stay" and wait a few seconds. If she moves, tell her to "sit," then try again. When she successfully stays, reward her with treats and praise.After she has learned how to stay in one place for about 10 seconds, start walking away after you tell her to stay. If she follows you, turn around and tell her to "sit." Say stay and walk away again. Be sure to reward her when she gets it right.Some puppies respond well to a hand signal with the "stay" command. Hold up your hand each time you say "stay." Eventually your puppy may be able to stay without hearing the verbal command.4Teach your puppy to come. It's easiest to do this with a partner. Have someone hold your puppy across the room or yard. Look at your puppy and say her name. When she looks at you, say "come" in a clear voice, and have your partner release her. Say her name again if she doesn't seem to know what to do at first. When she makes her way to you, reward her with praise and treats. Repeat this until she knows that "come" means she should run to you.[10]Make it fun for your puppy to come to you by clapping, smiling, and acting excited when she does. Teach her that coming to you is the best thing she can do.Practice the "come" command often in a variety of situations. It's important that your puppy knows to come when she's called, so that when she's in a dangerous situation she doesn't end up getting lost or hurt.Teaching a Puppy to Walk on a Leash1Let your puppy get tired before the walk. Puppies tend to pull on their leashes because they're full of extra energy and excited to be outside. If possible, tire your puppy out by playing with her before you put her on a leash for the day.
2Teach her to stand still while you put the leash on. Puppies often get excited when it's time to go outside, jumping up on their owners and barking in anticipation of going on a walk. This problem can go on for years if you don't resolve it while your puppy is still young. If she barks and jumps on you when you pick up a leash, wait until she is completely calm before putting it on. Do this over and over until she learns that she won't get to go outside until she behaves.3Use the red light, green light method. Start walking with your puppy outside. When she runs ahead and pulls on the leash, halt. Wait for her to turn around, say "come," and when she's at your side, tell her to "sit." Reward her with a treat, then continue walking. Repeat the process until she learns to walk alongside you instead of pulling on the leash.[11]When your puppy walks beside you, reward her frequently so she knows that's where she's supposed to walk.Continue using the red light, green light method for a few weeks. It may take awhile before your dog learns not to pull you down the street.TipsUse the tone of your voice to tell her how you're feeling. Use a deep voice when you want the puppy to stop what she is doing, and a firm voice when training or commanding.Keep your rules and boundaries consistent at all times. If she's not allowed on the sofa, then she's never allowed on the sofa. Mean what you say, give her motivation to comply (treats, rewards), and be firm and be fair. Your puppy will feel confident and know exactly what to expect from you.
WarningsDon't use physical violence on your dog. Beware trainers who advise you to smack or yell at your dog.Never leave children unsupervised with dogs.
Related wikiHowsHow to Train a Guard DogHow to Crate Train Your Dog or PuppyHow to Teach Your Dog to Enter and Exit a Kennel Calmly Using Clicker TrainingHow to Teach Your Dog to Drop ItHow to Teach Your Dog to SitHow to Give Dogs What They NeedHow to Train a Dog to Sit PrettyHow to Treat Dog Splinters
Sources and Citations↑ http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/housetraining_puppies.html↑ http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-articles/house-training-your-puppy↑ http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/housetraining_puppies.html↑ http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/housetraining_puppies.html↑ http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/housetraining_puppies.html↑ http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/biting-puppy-how-train-puppy-bites↑ http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/biting-puppy-how-train-puppy-bites↑ http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/biting-puppy-how-train-puppy-bites?page=2↑ http://www.dog-obedience-training-review.com/training-your-dog-to-sit.html↑ http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-articles/teaching-your-dog-to-come-when-called↑ http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/teaching-dogs-not-to-pull-on-leashArticle Info Featured Article
Categories: Featured Articles | Dog Obedience
Was this article accurate?
YesNo
No comments:
Post a Comment