Paper Training Your Dog - Easy Steps - The Alternative Method
What’s paper training? Paper training is a specific form of house training for your dog: you’re teaching her where in the house is appropriate for her to eliminate (pee or poop). When you paper train your dog, you teach her to only go on newspapers (chosen for their absorbency, ready availability, and cheap cost) which you gather up and throw away after each use.
You can choose to use paper training as an intermediary step for eventually only going outside (although not everyone recommends this: it’s easier on the dog, and more effective all round, to choose one method and stick with it.)
When Paper Training Is The Best Option For Everyone Involved
- When you don’t have easy access to a yard (for example, you live in a hi-rise apartment block)
- It’s not easy for you to take your dog outside for any other reason (for example, elderly or unwell people)
- You have a full-time job, or other time-consuming commitment which can’t be got around (meaning that you’re not able to spend the large amounts of time supervising your dog that crate training requires)
- You’re planning on training your dog to go outside the house eventually, but not just yet (for example, it’s the dead of winter with four-foot snow drifts outside)
Paper training isn’t suitable for all dogs: it really only works for small males and small-to-medium females, since a dog larger than these just produces too much waste for the newspaper (and you!) to handle.
How do you paper train your dog? First, pick a convenient area of the house for your dog to use as the elimination area. Because she’s going to be peeing and pooping in this area, it’s best if you can choose somewhere without carpet: most people choose a corner of the kitchen or laundry (since these rooms usually have tiled or linoleum floors, making hygiene a non-issue.)
Spread newspaper thickly in a corner of this room. At first, you’ll need to make the newspaper area pretty big, since your pup has no idea that she’s meant to go on the paper at all. To make sure that she’s able to go only on the paper, you’ll either need to restrict her movements to the papered area of the floor (which you can do by erecting barriers to keep her in – if the room you’ve chosen is large or busy, this is probably the most user-friendly option for you), or paper the whole floor (which is a viable option if the paper-room is small and there’s not much thoroughfare.)
At first, your puppy will go pretty much at random on the paper. It’s important for the paper-training process that she only gets to go on the paper – you need her to form a strong association between the feeling of paper under her toes, and relieving herself.
After a week or two, you can begin to shrink the papered area of the floor, allowing her more access to unpapered surfaces (leave the barriers where they are for now so she doesn’t get the chance to eliminate anywhere else.) Do this gradually, a couple of sheets at a time. If you’ve given her enough time to get used to the paper, she should naturally restrict her elimination areas as the papered area shrinks.
NOTE: If at any time she begins to go off the paper, then increase the size of the papered floor surface to the size it was when she was still eliminating only on the paper, and give her more time to get used to it before beginning to reduce the papered area again. There’s no need to panic: this doesn’t mean that the paper training isn’t working, it just means you’re moving a bit too fast for your puppy’s capabilities.
Most dogs take a couple of months (eight to twelve weeks) to get used to the paper training method. Until she’s reliably going on the papers only, you should restrict her access to the rest of the house unless you’re actively supervising her- which means 100% of your attention is focused on the pup. In general, a good rule of thumb is that your puppy is confined to the papered area unless she’s sleeping, eating, or being played with/actively supervised.
You will still have to closely watch your puppy, and be ready to praise for a good job, and interupt an accident as it happens! I hope this information on paper training helps you in your decision as what method to use on your dog.
For more information on how to successfully house train your dog.
Do You Want More? Click Here For The Ultimate House Training Guide.
Anything To Do With Dogs!!
lovethatpup@gmail.com
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Common House Training Issues With Dogs
House Training Problem With Dogs: Scent Marking
I know, this one doesn't even sound good. Because I think you have already figured out what this one is. Scent marking is where a dog “marks” his or her territory with urine – is technically not actually a house training problem, since it’s based on issues of dominance and territoriality rather than insufficient house training (a dog can be perfectly house trained but still mark inside the house.)
However, because – since the problem centers around the unwanted presence of urine in the house – it seems logical, in a way, to link this problem with house training: and since this is one of the most widespread problems among dog owners, we thought it worthwhile to include some practical advice.
Scent marking and lack of house training: how to differentiate between the two
(Your dog’s probably scent marking, rather than genuinely relieving himself, if he is doing the following)
- The amount of urine produced is relatively small, and tends to be directed against vertical surfaces (walls, doors, etc)
- He’s male, unneutered, and at least five or six months old. Unneutered dogs are much more territorial than neutered ones –if you have an unneutered dog in the house, you can pretty much expect a certain amount of scent marking. (Unspayed females also mark, but it’s less common; spayed and neutered dogs can also exhibit marking behavior, but it’s relatively infrequent)
- It makes little difference how often he’s taken outside for a toilet break
- He frequently targets items that are new to the house: new possessions, guest clothing/footwear, etc
- You live in a multi-dog household and there is conflict between two or more of the dogs
- There are other, unneutered or unspayed pets in the house
But what can you do about the problem? First things first: spay or neuter your dog(s) as soon as you possibly can. If you can do this early enough – ideally, at six months of age - this often halts marking altogether; but if your dog’s been marking for a prolonged period of time, he or she may continue to do so after being spayed or neutered, since a pattern of behavior will have been established.
Clean soiled areas thoroughly. Use a non-ammonia based cleaner (because it smells just like pee) and stay away from vinegar too (it smells similar to pee.) Oxi-Clean mixed with warm water is particularly effective; there are also plenty of commercial cleaners designed specifically to lift pet stains and odors, which you can buy from pet stores and some supermarkets. Because dogs tend to re-mark the same places, you’ll need to redefine the places that you know he’s marked to prevent repeat offending.
Accomplish This Is A Number Of Ways
- Feed him next to or on top of the spot
- Play with him there
- Groom him there
- Put his bed over or next to it
- Spend time there yourself: hang out with a book or sit down and work
If there is rivalry between dogs in the household, you’ll need to take steps to resolve it. Any conflict is likely to be hierarchical in nature (a “power struggle”), which means that all you have to do to stop the tension is pay attention to which dog seems to be more dominant than the other one (which one eats first, gets the toys he/she wants, “stares down” another dog), and reinforce this position.
How to do this? Feed the dominant dog first. Pet him/her first. Give him/her a toy before anyone else gets one. This makes it clear to all dogs in the house which one really is the dominant dog – and when this hierarchy’s been recognizably established, territorial/dominant behaviors like scent marking often vanish overnight.
For more information on how to successfully house train your dog.
Click Here For The Ultimate House Training Guide.
lovethatpup@gmail.com
I know, this one doesn't even sound good. Because I think you have already figured out what this one is. Scent marking is where a dog “marks” his or her territory with urine – is technically not actually a house training problem, since it’s based on issues of dominance and territoriality rather than insufficient house training (a dog can be perfectly house trained but still mark inside the house.)
However, because – since the problem centers around the unwanted presence of urine in the house – it seems logical, in a way, to link this problem with house training: and since this is one of the most widespread problems among dog owners, we thought it worthwhile to include some practical advice.
Scent marking and lack of house training: how to differentiate between the two
(Your dog’s probably scent marking, rather than genuinely relieving himself, if he is doing the following)
- The amount of urine produced is relatively small, and tends to be directed against vertical surfaces (walls, doors, etc)
- He’s male, unneutered, and at least five or six months old. Unneutered dogs are much more territorial than neutered ones –if you have an unneutered dog in the house, you can pretty much expect a certain amount of scent marking. (Unspayed females also mark, but it’s less common; spayed and neutered dogs can also exhibit marking behavior, but it’s relatively infrequent)
- It makes little difference how often he’s taken outside for a toilet break
- He frequently targets items that are new to the house: new possessions, guest clothing/footwear, etc
- You live in a multi-dog household and there is conflict between two or more of the dogs
- There are other, unneutered or unspayed pets in the house
But what can you do about the problem? First things first: spay or neuter your dog(s) as soon as you possibly can. If you can do this early enough – ideally, at six months of age - this often halts marking altogether; but if your dog’s been marking for a prolonged period of time, he or she may continue to do so after being spayed or neutered, since a pattern of behavior will have been established.
Clean soiled areas thoroughly. Use a non-ammonia based cleaner (because it smells just like pee) and stay away from vinegar too (it smells similar to pee.) Oxi-Clean mixed with warm water is particularly effective; there are also plenty of commercial cleaners designed specifically to lift pet stains and odors, which you can buy from pet stores and some supermarkets. Because dogs tend to re-mark the same places, you’ll need to redefine the places that you know he’s marked to prevent repeat offending.
Accomplish This Is A Number Of Ways
- Feed him next to or on top of the spot
- Play with him there
- Groom him there
- Put his bed over or next to it
- Spend time there yourself: hang out with a book or sit down and work
If there is rivalry between dogs in the household, you’ll need to take steps to resolve it. Any conflict is likely to be hierarchical in nature (a “power struggle”), which means that all you have to do to stop the tension is pay attention to which dog seems to be more dominant than the other one (which one eats first, gets the toys he/she wants, “stares down” another dog), and reinforce this position.
How to do this? Feed the dominant dog first. Pet him/her first. Give him/her a toy before anyone else gets one. This makes it clear to all dogs in the house which one really is the dominant dog – and when this hierarchy’s been recognizably established, territorial/dominant behaviors like scent marking often vanish overnight.
For more information on how to successfully house train your dog.
Click Here For The Ultimate House Training Guide.
lovethatpup@gmail.com
House Training Issues With Dogs
House Training Problem With Dogs: Submissive / Excited Urination
House training is one of the areas of dog ownership that’s most subject to misunderstanding, confusion, and just plain dread!
A ‘submissive urinator’ is a dog that urinates on the floor and himself (and sometimes on you and any guests you may have!) in situations of extreme excitement or stress - like when you return home at the end of the day, or when he’s being yelled at. Puppies are the usual candidates for submissive/excited urination, but it’s not uncommon to see adult dogs with the problem as well: usually, these are highly sensitive and timid dogs, and/or ones from a shelter/with a history of abuse (often the last two go hand-in-hand.)
Situations when an excited or fearful dog is likely to urinate
- Greeting time after a prolonged absence
- Play time
- The arrival of guests
- Stressful situations at home, eg arguments
- During a correction (you’re telling him off)
- Sudden loud noises (thunder, fireworks)
What's the solution? Fortunately, it’s not difficult to “cure” your dog of his submissive/excited urination. First of all, you should take him to the vet to make sure there’s no medical reason for the issue (like diabetes or a bladder infection.) Hopefully you are taking your dog infor regular vet check- ups.
NOW...to take control of the problem!! Limit his intake of water to help him control his bladder more effectively. Don’t restrict his water intake over a prolonged period of time, but if you know there’s a situation coming which would normally result in urination – for example, you have guests coming over, or are planning on a play session soon – take his water bowl away for a period of time (maybe half an hour to an hour) before the event.
Another thing that will help. When greeting your dog, keep it calm and mellow. The more excited he is, the harder it is for him to control his bladder, so don’t encourage him to get worked up: ignore him for the first few moments, or give him a neutral “hello”, a quick pat, and then go about making yourself at home. I remember when I was away fro my puppy for a week, she instantly peed at my feet the second she met up with me. Lucky for me, we were outside at the time. So this can happen even when your puppy doesn't normally have a problem. So just understand the circumstance.
So then it’s important that you DO NOT punish or harshly correct your dog for this behavior. It’s not something that he can easily control, and he’s certainly not doing it on purpose. When you catch him in the act, you can interrupt him (a firm “No!” followed by praise when he stops should suffice) but don’t punish him. Keep your cool, and try to be sympathetic: he doesn’t mean to do it, after all!
If he urinates out of fear (submissiveness) when scolding him for another offense, try to take the stress levels down a notch by keeping a firm, authoritative, but not angry tone. Remember, you’re dealing with a sensitive, highly-strung dog: if you get angry or worry him further, the problem will worsen. Remember dogs are like people, with different personalities. And they react to things in a certain way as a result of certain circumstances that have taken place in their life.
Click Here For More Information On House Breaking A Dog
Anything To Do With Dogs!!
lovethatpup@gmail.com
House training is one of the areas of dog ownership that’s most subject to misunderstanding, confusion, and just plain dread!
A ‘submissive urinator’ is a dog that urinates on the floor and himself (and sometimes on you and any guests you may have!) in situations of extreme excitement or stress - like when you return home at the end of the day, or when he’s being yelled at. Puppies are the usual candidates for submissive/excited urination, but it’s not uncommon to see adult dogs with the problem as well: usually, these are highly sensitive and timid dogs, and/or ones from a shelter/with a history of abuse (often the last two go hand-in-hand.)
Situations when an excited or fearful dog is likely to urinate
- Greeting time after a prolonged absence
- Play time
- The arrival of guests
- Stressful situations at home, eg arguments
- During a correction (you’re telling him off)
- Sudden loud noises (thunder, fireworks)
What's the solution? Fortunately, it’s not difficult to “cure” your dog of his submissive/excited urination. First of all, you should take him to the vet to make sure there’s no medical reason for the issue (like diabetes or a bladder infection.) Hopefully you are taking your dog infor regular vet check- ups.
NOW...to take control of the problem!! Limit his intake of water to help him control his bladder more effectively. Don’t restrict his water intake over a prolonged period of time, but if you know there’s a situation coming which would normally result in urination – for example, you have guests coming over, or are planning on a play session soon – take his water bowl away for a period of time (maybe half an hour to an hour) before the event.
Another thing that will help. When greeting your dog, keep it calm and mellow. The more excited he is, the harder it is for him to control his bladder, so don’t encourage him to get worked up: ignore him for the first few moments, or give him a neutral “hello”, a quick pat, and then go about making yourself at home. I remember when I was away fro my puppy for a week, she instantly peed at my feet the second she met up with me. Lucky for me, we were outside at the time. So this can happen even when your puppy doesn't normally have a problem. So just understand the circumstance.
So then it’s important that you DO NOT punish or harshly correct your dog for this behavior. It’s not something that he can easily control, and he’s certainly not doing it on purpose. When you catch him in the act, you can interrupt him (a firm “No!” followed by praise when he stops should suffice) but don’t punish him. Keep your cool, and try to be sympathetic: he doesn’t mean to do it, after all!
If he urinates out of fear (submissiveness) when scolding him for another offense, try to take the stress levels down a notch by keeping a firm, authoritative, but not angry tone. Remember, you’re dealing with a sensitive, highly-strung dog: if you get angry or worry him further, the problem will worsen. Remember dogs are like people, with different personalities. And they react to things in a certain way as a result of certain circumstances that have taken place in their life.
Click Here For More Information On House Breaking A Dog
Anything To Do With Dogs!!
lovethatpup@gmail.com
Simple Steps To Potty Train A Puppy
Housebreaking Tips - Easy Ways To Dog Training
When I bought my new little two month old Maltese puppy, it seemed like it didn't matter how often I took her outside..it was never enough. But here were a few things I didn't reakize, that would have helped me understand the new little love of my life.
Some Toilet Facts About Puppies
- Puppies’ bladders and bowels are so small and weak that they have only a very small window of opportunity between knowing that they need to go, and having that need become an immediate reality. Because of this, it’s imperative that you take her outside as soon as she wakes up (she’ll let you know she needs to go out by pawing the door and whining), and within ten minutes of eating or playing. But understand if you play too hard, or too long with your new little dog, she may forget...and only have enough time to squat...TOO LATE!!
- Behaviors that indicate she needs to go outside include sniffing the ground and circling. Again, because she’s only little, she won’t exhibit these warning signs for very long – so as soon as she starts, GET READY TO DART!. Better an unnecessary trip to the yard than an unnecessary wet patch (or pile) on the carpet!
- The maximum amount of time that a puppy can be crated at one time is figured out using the following equation: her age in months, plus one. So, a three-month old puppy can be crated for a maximum of four hours. However, this is likely to be physically pretty uncomfortable for her (not to mention hard on her emotionally and psychologically: it’s tough being cramped up with nothing to do), so you should really take her out at least once every two hours during the day. If she’s sleeping, of course, just let her sleep until she wakes up naturally.
Pretty interesting facts that helped me out, once I heard about them. But yhis is just the tip of the iceberg. For a more indepth look at house training, as well as a great deal of useful information on canine behavioral problems and the most effective training techniques, check out The Ultimate House Training Guide. It’s the complete dog-house-training guide.
More Information On House Breaking A Dog
lovethatpup@gmail.com
When I bought my new little two month old Maltese puppy, it seemed like it didn't matter how often I took her outside..it was never enough. But here were a few things I didn't reakize, that would have helped me understand the new little love of my life.
Some Toilet Facts About Puppies
- Puppies’ bladders and bowels are so small and weak that they have only a very small window of opportunity between knowing that they need to go, and having that need become an immediate reality. Because of this, it’s imperative that you take her outside as soon as she wakes up (she’ll let you know she needs to go out by pawing the door and whining), and within ten minutes of eating or playing. But understand if you play too hard, or too long with your new little dog, she may forget...and only have enough time to squat...TOO LATE!!
- Behaviors that indicate she needs to go outside include sniffing the ground and circling. Again, because she’s only little, she won’t exhibit these warning signs for very long – so as soon as she starts, GET READY TO DART!. Better an unnecessary trip to the yard than an unnecessary wet patch (or pile) on the carpet!
- The maximum amount of time that a puppy can be crated at one time is figured out using the following equation: her age in months, plus one. So, a three-month old puppy can be crated for a maximum of four hours. However, this is likely to be physically pretty uncomfortable for her (not to mention hard on her emotionally and psychologically: it’s tough being cramped up with nothing to do), so you should really take her out at least once every two hours during the day. If she’s sleeping, of course, just let her sleep until she wakes up naturally.
Pretty interesting facts that helped me out, once I heard about them. But yhis is just the tip of the iceberg. For a more indepth look at house training, as well as a great deal of useful information on canine behavioral problems and the most effective training techniques, check out The Ultimate House Training Guide. It’s the complete dog-house-training guide.
More Information On House Breaking A Dog
lovethatpup@gmail.com
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