How do you house train a dog?

Dogs have a natural instinct for cleanliness. They don’t soil or spoil their area unless they can’t help it. There are certain methods by which you can housetrain your pet.

• Mark a living area

The dog has to be given his own little area. A dog crate comes of great use for this purpose. Though he may not take to the crate immediately, adequate training will help him get used to it as ‘his own’ place. The crate should be just the size for him, not too large. One side can be covered with waste paper, in case he loses bowel control. Do not shut him out from the family – always keep his crate in a corner inside the house, where he can easily be supervised.

• Mark his toilet area

Take the dog out first thing in the morning. Carry him out, so that he doesn’t do his thing the moment he touches the floor! Let him sniff around a place outside and decide the place for his potty. Praise him once he is done, so that he learns that the particular area is his bathroom!

In case you are not at home for long periods of time, train the pup to ease himself on a stack of newspapers you’ve placed for him. In case he messes up some other place, just clean it up and patiently train him till he learns his toilet manners!

• Walk him a bit

Spend some time with him in your backyard and wait for him to finish his potty. Letting him walk around helps him with his bowel movement. This could take anything between 5 and 50 minutes! Praise him when he completes his job. Take him out every two hours or so, or when he starts getting restless, so that he won’t unwittingly ruin your home and furniture.

• Introduce him to the whole house

Once your pet has learned to identify his living area and toilet area, he will seldom have accidents at home. Now, you can open him up to the whole house, one room at a time. Keep moving his den from room to room, while always keeping an eye on him. Once he gets comfortable, he will start considering the whole house as an extension of his den.

• Treat your pet with love and respect

An accident in the house may have happened only because your pet couldn’t help it. So do not nag or scold the pet, merely treat him with love and talk reassuringly. If the problem continues, you might want to get him checked for bladder or bowel dysfunction.

• Housetraining older dogs
The above-mentioned methods can be used to train a grown dog too. Dogs are fast learners, so he will know to mark his own area and will seldom create a mess anywhere else.

House training only involves a little time and effort on the part of the owner. When trained properly, a pet tends to keep his schedule for a lifetime. Once the dog gets old enough, he gains full control over his bladder and bowel function, so he can be left alone for long periods of time.