How To House Train a Dog - The First Step

I do a lot of writing in various areas and much of it has to do with how to do things. Usually, the articles are fairly general and are related to more extensive and complex resources available online. After all, one short article isn't going to be enough to teach you how to house train a dog. The point though is that, in almost every case, people's apparent inability to achieve their goal, whether it's how to potty train a dog or stop a cat's destructive behavior, is almost always the result of not actually carrying through and doing it.

There are books, training videos, probably vast MP3 collections, all of which can teach you or show you how to house train a dog. Now there are some people who are collectors. They just love to get everything about dog training, dogs, dog breeds all the way to the that non-existent but highly desirable "The Everything Dog Training and Trick Book". Others are really looking for a solution but keep going from one to another looking for something that requires no effort on their part. Just like everything else in life, potty training a dog takes actual work and effort on your part.

The amount of work involved in potty training a dog is not a back-breaker, but you need to learn how to go about it. You need to pay close attention to the process and you need to carry through with the training. There's just no other way. Nobody's selling a magic wand you just wave around - and Shazaam, you don't need to know how to house train your dog because - miraculously - your dog has become instantly potty trained. Somehow though, a lot of folks seem to keep thinking that if they keep looking eventually they'll find that easy magic solution.

Hopefully, you now get the idea of what the first step in house training a dog - or, in fact, any kind of dog or pet training is. You have to decide you are serious enough about it to actually do it even if it takes some time and effort. If you can't do that then there's absolutely no point in spending any money on a course or videos or an ebook on how to house train a dog. You're going to need the money for cleaning expenses.

To help get through that first block, think about what a nasty unending on-going mess you will have to deal with if your dog is not house trained. Day after day, week after week. Dogs can live a long time.

This same principle applies to any undesirable behavior. A well trained dog makes a fair more pleasant companion and requires far less work on your part. And an untrained dog can be a serious risk, especially if it has aggressive tendencies.

Learning how to house train a dog is generally the first step that people want to take with a new puppy. But it should also fit into learning how to train your dog to be a great companion. You are supposed to be the boss and that means you do need to learn how to be good master or mistress. That can make the difference between a wonderful experience and an ongoing miserable struggle with your dog that no one wins.

There are some excellent guides, in different styles, which are easily available on the internet. Generally, which might be best for you depends on your style and how you learn best. If you prefer to read and are interested in more detail and information, then an ebook with step-by-step instructions on how to house train a dog (with pictures, of course) might be the best solution.

On the other hand, if you learn more easily by watching video and listening, then a video course might be better. There are advantages to both and many people have found it helpful to eventually get more than one guide.

Whichever style is best for you, these guides offer you more than simply a method on how to house train a dog. The best ones teach you step by step how to solve other common dog behavior problems and teach you methods you can use to deal with whatever undesirable behavior problems your dog develops. Life with a dog can be very satisfying and enjoyable, but it is also largely dependent on you taking the steps necessary to learn how to train your dog.

Copyright (c) 2006 Richard Keir