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Discover Why People Fail at Potty Training Their Dog

29 10:40:02

Are you a new dog owner who's in the stages of potty training your brand new puppy? Have you heard from friends, family and all several other resources that you should do this or that when it comes to housebreaking a dog? Got a few conflicting messages and tips? Here are a list of what NOT to do when it comes to housebreaking a dog.

Why Puppy Pads Reinforce Defecating Indoors
If you really think about it, what is your puppy suppose to learn when using puppy pads? The point of puppy pads is that if your dog does urinate in the house, it would be on the puppy pads. It does not teach a puppy to hold it's bladder until they go outside. It's more of added security that your pet won't eliminate on the rug. The common mistakes for puppy owners who use puppy pads assume that their four legged friend knows what's it's used for and gets upset when they find a mess right next to the pad rather than on the pad itself.

Your ultimate goal if for your dog to learn to eliminate outside. Why would you insist on training your puppy inside with puppy pads? Puppy pads are just unnecessary and makes housebreaking ten times more difficult than it already is.

Puppy pads are more for peace of mind for the owner. If you truly don't want to teach your dog to urinate outside but rather on the puppy pads, do what you do when your dog does something good. Reward him for it. This is how your dog associate appropriate behavior, through positive reinforcement.

Failing to Scold Your Dog at the Right Moment
One of the biggest and most common mistakes that dog owner's do when it comes to housebreaking their pet is the way they choose to respond to their pet. Can you admit that you've scolded or yelled at your dog after you stumbled up a "mess" of theirs?

Many dog owners claim that their dog knows what he's doing, otherwise why else would he look guilty? Your misinterpreting the look of guilt to fear. Your pet knows your upset but has no clue to why and what he can do to prevent it from happening. In order of your furry pal to get the hint that eliminating in the house is not acceptable is when you CATCH your dog in the act.

Dogs are smart animals, however, their minds think differently from humans. Your dog will understand that you're upset at them but will have no clue why. When this happens your dog will resort to defecating in the house when you're not looking. This defeats the point of housebreaking.

When you catch your pet circling around a spot on the floor or in mid action, yelp out loud, this will alarm your dog and gives you a chance to take them outside to finish their job. That's why it's so important to never yell at your dog after they eliminate in the house. Keep in mind it's your fault you didn't catch your dog in time to prevent it from happening.

How Yelling and Scolding Your Dog Will Regress Potty Training
Positive reinforcement is the best way for your dog to learn what is acceptable or not. Pet owners who yell and shout at their dog for making a mess usually results in their dog hiding their habit out of the owner's sight. This does not get to the root of the problem but it also makes training so much harder for the puppy owners and the dog itself.

Dogs are people pleasers. The more they get rewarded for certain behaviors, the more good behaviors you'll get out of your four legged friend. This is why clicker training is so effective in dog training. If you're struggling with potty training, you may have to reevaluate your approach. Also, dogs pick up on your tone of voice. If you're saying sweet words to your puppy but in a menacing or angry tone, your four legged friend will pick up on it and regress.

Are You Excellent In Being Inconsistent?
I can't emphasize enough on how important consistency is when it comes to dog training. Like with anything else in your life, with practice comes perfect (or as close to perfect.) If you want to successfully potty train your dog, you need to make sure you stick to it and be consistent.

These are the biggest mistakes to dog training. If you want to successfully and effectively potty train your dog, avoid these mistakes.