Have you ever been over to a friend’s house when they were housetraining
a puppy and seen their reaction to the puppy having an “accident”
inside the home. It’s a fascinating study in human personality to see
how different people react to this common occurrence. While some people
respond in an understanding, gentle way, still others begin to yell or
grab the puppy and forcefully drag it out of the house. In the latter
case, you can’t help but wonder if those people discipline their
children in a similar fashion.
The bottom line in housetraining a puppy is that accidents are bound to happen! We are talking here about very young animals that rely upon you to teach them everything that they must know to get along peacefully within your home. In order for their education to be as smooth and effective as possible, they need to know that they can trust you to be consistent and loving in your reactions to both the things they do well and the things that they do badly.
One common mistake in housetraining a puppy occurs when the owner punishes the animal for a mess that he or she did not catch it making. Your best bet in these cases is to simply clean the mess up and go on about your business. Since the dog won’t remember making the mess, rubbing its nose in the soiled area will probably leave the animal wondering when you developed a fetish for bodily excrement! It will also damage the trust that is so important to your training of the puppy.
You can, however, discipline your puppy if you catch it in the act of urinating or defecating – as long as that discipline is appropriate, and unemotional. As a general rule, try to discipline your puppy in the same way its mother would. Mother dogs that catch their puppies doing something inappropriate shake the fur at the back of the puppy’s neck to let it know that it is misbehaving. A firm shaking of the neck fur will send the message you want, especially when coupled with a firm “no.” Yelling and screaming at the animal will just frighten it.
Housetraining a puppy, however, should never involve punishment. Keep in mind that you are dealing with one of the most natural functions of a dog’s life – going to the bathroom. Your goal cannot be to punish the puppy for going in the wrong spot. Rather, your goal must be to teach the animal exactly what is expected of it. That takes time and, in some cases, a saint’s patience.
Yes, it can be frustrating when you are housetraining a puppy that just doesn’t seem to “get it.” It’s a little less maddening, however, if you can manage to keep in mind the fact that your puppy is in many ways no different than a small child. Just as you would not expect your human child to learn how to use the child potty on the first few days of training, you should not expect your puppy to do so either
The bottom line in housetraining a puppy is that accidents are bound to happen! We are talking here about very young animals that rely upon you to teach them everything that they must know to get along peacefully within your home. In order for their education to be as smooth and effective as possible, they need to know that they can trust you to be consistent and loving in your reactions to both the things they do well and the things that they do badly.
One common mistake in housetraining a puppy occurs when the owner punishes the animal for a mess that he or she did not catch it making. Your best bet in these cases is to simply clean the mess up and go on about your business. Since the dog won’t remember making the mess, rubbing its nose in the soiled area will probably leave the animal wondering when you developed a fetish for bodily excrement! It will also damage the trust that is so important to your training of the puppy.
You can, however, discipline your puppy if you catch it in the act of urinating or defecating – as long as that discipline is appropriate, and unemotional. As a general rule, try to discipline your puppy in the same way its mother would. Mother dogs that catch their puppies doing something inappropriate shake the fur at the back of the puppy’s neck to let it know that it is misbehaving. A firm shaking of the neck fur will send the message you want, especially when coupled with a firm “no.” Yelling and screaming at the animal will just frighten it.
Housetraining a puppy, however, should never involve punishment. Keep in mind that you are dealing with one of the most natural functions of a dog’s life – going to the bathroom. Your goal cannot be to punish the puppy for going in the wrong spot. Rather, your goal must be to teach the animal exactly what is expected of it. That takes time and, in some cases, a saint’s patience.
Yes, it can be frustrating when you are housetraining a puppy that just doesn’t seem to “get it.” It’s a little less maddening, however, if you can manage to keep in mind the fact that your puppy is in many ways no different than a small child. Just as you would not expect your human child to learn how to use the child potty on the first few days of training, you should not expect your puppy to do so either
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