My Perfect Puppy Top Ten +
#1 Royal Canin Mini 33 Puppy Food
#2 Nutra-Cal Puppy Vitamins
#3 Buckle Collar & Lead
#4 The Paisley Puppy Stuffed Toy
#5 Gold Wire Crate
#6 Wooden Puppy Playpen
#7 Fresh & Clean Shampoo Original
#8 Pet Edge Ceramic Bowls
#9 Exercise Pen Indoor/Outdoor
#10 Potty & Crate Training DVD Includes how to train your puppy to ring a bell or "Speak" to go outside!
Petstages Mini Cool Chew
$3.99
Petsmart
Royal Canin Mini 33
Our Puppy Food Choice!
Petsmart $14.99
Pet Edge Catalog (the best! Free!)
1-800-Pet-Edge
(738-3343)
"Paisley Puppy
Zanies"
ZAB026
$1.89!
Revival 1-800-786-4751 #99324
$9.99
Revival 1-800-786-4751 #MDL90-60 $99.00
Fresh & Clean
My favorite tearless Puppy Shampoo, it smells divine!!!
Petsmart
$7.99
Pet Edge Catalog (Wonderful Catalog! Free!)
1-800-Pet-Edge
(738-3343)
"Zanies"
ZAB941
$7.98 the set!
Pet Edge Catalog (Wonderful Catalog! Free!)
1-800-Pet-Edge
(738-3343)
Exercise Pen (Handy for outside or in!)
MW550 $38.99 (Also comes in Gold)
Bitter Apple
Stops Chewing!
Petsmart
$7.99
Petsmart
Nutri-Cal
Puppy
Vitamin
Paste
Yummy!!!
$4.99
Pet Edge
1-800-Pet-Edge
Assorted
Lovely
Ceramic
Bowls
$1.89!
Puppy House Training 1o1
The following is a wonderful common sense approach to house training your new puppy, make sure everyone in the house is on the same page, using the same commands & methods, with a little early effort on your part, your new puppy should be very easy to house train! Feel free to copy & save for future reference!
Crate Training - Use a crate while potty training your puppy. Your puppy should be in the crate or in a small area with a washable surface, puppy pens are great, as the crate can be too confining if you are gone long hours during the day. A small puppy needs to have time to exercise and play, not just be confined for the entire night and day in his kennel. Use loads of common sense, young children and young puppies both need to use up their energy to be healthy and happy, while you are at work, sleeping, or anytime you are not able to watch him, keep your puppy in his kennel at night, and in a slightly larger area during the day, either a laundry room with a baby gate, set the open crate on one side, along with toys and water dish, puppy pads or paper a few feet away if you are going to be gone more than 2 hours. The crate is fine again, for overnight, and up to 2 hours at a time during the day. Remember, too much crate time though is not a good thing! Dogs are den animals so being in a crate is natural for them. Puppies will cry and want to be released at first, but be patient; it will get used to being in the crate and come to enjoy it. Make the crate a happy place, not a punishment. Teach your puppy a command when going in the crate, for example, kennel or go to your room; this will make it easier then trying to force or push the dog into the crate later. Also, dogs are pack animals so it's helpful if you keep the crate in the bedroom where the rest of the "pack" is sleeping. This is a tough one in the beginning because the puppy will cry and you will be tempted to let it out. Tough love, if the puppy is loose in the house then it will have the opportunity to potty anywhere it pleases. Keep the puppy crated at night until it can be trusted in the house. You may have to let the pup outside during the night and during your lunch break during the day. Be prepared to lose some sleep, like I said, it's like having a new baby.
Take the puppy to the same area of the yard - Each time your puppy goes outside go with it. Take the puppy on a lead so you can be sure it goes to the same area of the yard each time. This way the puppy can smell itself and know what it's supposed to do. Only give your puppy about 10 minutes to potty, if it doesn't go, then bring it in and put it back in the crate, wait 15 - 30 minutes and take it back outside. Don't let the puppy play until it potties. Playing is a reward, don't reward bad behavior. Puppies are just little kids, they go outside, get excited, and forget why they went outside in the first place. It helps to give a command to potty, that way it learns a little faster what is expected, and later in life, if your running late, you can give the potty command and your dog will potty and be done with it.
Praise for going potty outside - When the puppy potties outside - give a treat, play with a favorite toy, say "good boy"; whatever, just make sure that the puppy thinks, "Wow! Going potty outside is loads of fun, I'm going to do this again!" Note: I like Mother Hubard's Peanut Butter Biscuits!
Tether to you while inside - (Great idea, the puppy can snooze at your feet while you are on the computer, the kids are watching TV, playing video games or whatnot, remember a loose puppy will get into trouble especially in the early days of house training!) When you are at home, and the puppy is not in the crate, consider using a long lead to tether the puppy to you. If the puppy is loose in the house it can gain the opportunity to sneak off and use the bathroom. The idea in house training is to avoid accidents, the tether works for that purpose.
Take the puppy outside immediately - Following meals, drinking, playtime or excitement, when you first get home from work, and first thing in the morning. If the puppy gets excited it may have an accident, avoid the trouble by carrying the puppy outside to potty.
Take the puppy outside often - Try to take the puppy outside every hour. If your home, why not take the puppy outside for frequent potty breaks; it'll learn that much quicker and you'll avoid accidents, it probably has to "go" anyway.
Teach the puppy to let you know when it wants to go outside - Teach the puppy to bark, ring a bell, (attach a small bell low down by the door, ring it when you take puppy out, sayine "Go potty outside? Good Dog!") or scratch the door before going outside. This will help you know when he has to "go". The goal is for the puppy to get to a point where it will alert you as to when it's time for a potty break.
Paper training - Using potty pads or newspaper is up to you. Some small breed owners swear by them. Others think they are confusing to the puppy if your ultimate goal is for them to potty outside. It will take longer to house train if you first teach the pup to potty on paper, then turn around and want the pup to potty outside. Some small breed dogs don't like going outside when it is cold or wet so a lot of owners use paper during the winter season.
Invest in a good odor neutralizer - Mistakes are going to happen so plan for it. If you see your puppy make the mistake act quickly, say "No!" (use a deep John Wayne type voice), and run it outside to the potty place. If you didn't see the mistake happen, bite your lip, and clean the mistake. Use an odor neutralizer like Nature's Miracle or Simple Solution - these products neutralize odor instead of covering it up. You don't want the puppy going back to the same spot on your carpet.
House training is only the beginning, start thinking about obedience classes. Yes, you can probably teach your puppy to sit, down, and stay, but socialization is good for the puppy. It needs to learn that it is okay for other people, strangers, to touch its paws and ears.
It should get used to going in the car and entering strange buildings and walking properly on a leash now while it's young; that way a year from now you are not stuck with an ill mannered dog. Puppies are a lot of fun but you'll enjoy the dog more if you train properly now. What is cute on a puppy may not be so cute when it's a 75 pound Labrador - plan for the future. A proper foundation is crucial.
Dr. Emily Weisse
How To House Train Your Puppy
2007
Wonderful Article on Puppy
House Training Below!!!
