So, one day they brought home a new puppy named Storm.  There was chaos all around....he was well named.

Before Storm arrived, me and Skye had things organized like a well oiled machine.  We realized from seeing what happened, that most humans could benefit from our simple advice on housetraining dogs.  We'll talk about curbing the insatiable puppy urge to chew another time.

There are a few pieces of advice I have for you:

• Be patient.  

This will take time and having a good sense of humour will help. You need to be understanding, have a regular schedule of feedings and bathroom breaks and keep a close eye on your new dog.   If you learn their body language, it can make thinks much easier.  And again, keep a close eye!

• Stick to a schedule!

This is one of the most critical pieces of advice.  Take the puppy outside first thing in the morning, after any nap, within half an hour of eating or drinking, right after playing and right before bedtime.  A puppy has a small bladder and often cannot make it through the night.  For this reason, it is best to keep them in your bedroom at night so that you can hear them if they need to go out.

• Use a designated area.

When you take the puppy outside, the scent of the area may help him realize what is expected of him.  As well, if you play for a bit or go for a walk first, it will help to move things along.  After finishing, you will want to give the puppy lots of praise and a treat to reinforce the process.

• Sometimes nothing happens. Be prepared.

If the pup doesn't do anything by the time you are ready to go in, keep a very close watch.  It will happen.  Signs to look for include, sniffing around, whining, scratching the door or acting agitated.  If you notice any of these, quickly whisk him back outside. 

• Be patient and heed to mother nature.

The muscles that control elimination, do not develop in a dog until they are 4 - 6 months old.  In some it may take longer.  It is not that your puppy is being defiant or difficult.  It is just that their bodies are incapable of doing what you want until they reach that age.  If the dog you are training is older, and was never housetrained, it may take longer. This will also be the case if the dog was paper trained or is a very small dog.

• Accept it - Accidents will happen.

Be patient.  Do not react with anger. If you strike or yell at a dog for an accident, this may only make them think that the act of defecating or urinating is bad.  That confusion will slow the whole process.  Rubbing a dog's nose in it may make them think you want them to eat their waste and again slows the process.

The biggest success has been found with prevention and lavish praise.  Dogs and puppies love to make their people happy.  They want to succeed and be praised.

• Be consistent.

Set a consistent schedule for eating and bathroom trips.  You should see progress within a few days or weeks.

Again, be patient.  Be kind and be consistent.  Me and Skye are proof that it works.  Storm is doing ok.  He is still a bit hyper for me and Skye, but everyone tells us that will change....we hope!  Personally, I think if they had named him Snoozer, he wouldn't be so hyper, but nobody asked my opinion!

photo by gorefiendus